I have this morning agreed to be one of those who signs Rishi Sunak’s nomination papers and will be supporting him in every way in the forthcoming leadership election. There is much to recommend Boris Johnson, but I cannot believe that now is the right time for him to return to Government. I was a strong supporter of Penny Mordaunt in the last round of the leadership election, but have concluded that she does not have the capabilities to be Prime Minister at this time.

Rishi Sunak was an outstanding Chancellor of the Exchequer, has kept his nose clean in the meantime and seems to me to have the ability to be an outstandingly good fresh-start Prime Minister.