Sunak is unquestionably in the strongest position, but he has never appeared keen on the levelling-up agenda.
Jesse Norman is the latest to declare that he has no confidence in the Prime Minister.
The Tories would lose lots of seats. He could lose his own seat. It would win him no loyalty or security. It would not deliver better government.
He also says the Tories were punished for threatening to turn the South into the “patio of England” by building homes.
Perhaps firefighting this crisis is easier than tackling the many serious problems facing the nation.
“I give 100 per cent of my loyalty to the Prime Minister because I know he is focussed on issues that matter to people across the UK.”
Used properly, stretch targets have the effect of galvanising the level of culture change, ambition, pace and delivery which is needed.
He cannot quite bring himself to say that he regrets the referendum that brought him down.
Associations are on alert after an unidentified man phoned members to demand urgent payments to secure their right to vote in the forthcoming ballot.
We cannot fall into the Corbynista trap of being more obsessed with running the party than running the country.