Meanwhile, Mr Sunak’s recent meetings with backbench Tory MPs have been more focused on energy prices and the cost of living crisis. “But no doubt it helps him to meet new MPs,” remarked one frontbencher.
A former minister added: “It’s a subtle way of demonstrating his skill set,” while a second said: “There are operations going on. They are much more subtle than a lot of people realise.”
Mr Sunak is seen as deploying fewer outriders in the parliamentary party to sound out colleagues, but one Tory MP said his views were known and visibility assured, adding: “He doesn’t really need to do that much – he’s the Chancellor.” Another said: “His share value would probably never be higher than now.”
Many in the party expect Nadhim Zahawi, the Education Secretary, to throw his hat into the ring if a contest is sparked. It has also not gone unnoticed that Penny Mordaunt sent a copy of her new book about political reform to many Conservative MPs and is said to be doing “a lot of tea room networking”.
And as chairman of the Covid Recovery Group of lockdown-sceptic Tories, Mark Harper is seen as having a ready-made caucus for a tilt at the leadership.
Elsewhere, there is growing expectation that Jeremy Hunt, Mr Johnson’s former leadership rival, and Tom Tugendhat, the chairman of the Commons foreign affairs committee, will go head-to-head for the votes of the One Nation caucus of moderate Tory MPs.
After Mr Hunt used an interview this week to broadcast that his leadership ambitions had not “completely vanished” a close colleague said on Wednesday: “Jeremy’s interview was putting it out there for everyone to note – it was casting bread upon waters, if nothing else.”
