Who will get Brexit done? Who is best placed to defeat Corbyn at the next election? And who would do the best job of leading a government?
It is precisely his underdog status that should free him, during this evening’s TV debate, to bite a bit as well as bark.
It shows in detail what people make of the two candidates vying to be their next Prime Minister – particularly their appeal to voters who are not already Tories.
Between them, the two remaining candidates have already clocked up tax and spending promises of around £51 billion per year.
It offers no evidence of a Hunt surge, and by this time next week a significant percentage of Party members will have voted.
Each contender was able to write directly to the almost 7,500 locally elected Conservatives – a sizeable and influential part of the electorate.
Hunt has gained far more ground than Johnson since last week – but the latter has double the Foreign Secretary’s vote share and a lead of over 30 points.
The two contenders for the top job answer questions from the online viewing public.
We don’t need a ‘Brexiteer’ leader, we need a unifier, a leader who is not marked by labels but by their ability to implement the referendum result.
In so doing, he has the opportunity not only to deliver Brexit, serve his country – and make history.
Plus: Nine of the ten original candidates have been on my show. When will you let me interview you in depth, Boris Johnson?
In the end, Tory MPs plumped for safety rather than risk, as they see it – and that meant putting through the Foreign Secretary against Johnson.
Members will receive their postal ballots between 6th and 8th July. Many will return them straight away, which could influence the tone of the race.
A noisy one with the Environment Secretary, or a quieter one with the Foreign Secretary? Javid’s backers must think hard.
Much of politics is teamwork. Can he now create a coalition among Tory MPs, not to mention Party members, that builds on his appeal to many voters?
Who will get Brexit done? Who is best placed to defeat Corbyn at the next election? And who would do the best job of leading a government?