So Rishi Sunak will have to contend with attacks from Liz Truss and Jacob Rees-Mogg and cope with rows over the future of HS2, his commitment to net zero, and the wisdom of flirting with withdrawal from the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).
The prime minister will also have to accept that many senior Tories – including cabinet members – will spend their time in Manchester jostling for prime position in a leadership contest in the likely event Labour wins the 2024 general election.
Many Tory MPs have already written off their chances, and are busy gossiping about who might replace Mr Sunak as opposition leader should Sir Keir Starmer enter No 10.
Could Ms Truss make an audacious bid to return as Tory leader? A report in Bloomberg claiming that the much-mocked former PM – who spent just six weeks in Downing Street – could eye a comeback has raised eyebrows in Manchester.
Bloomberg claimed she may consider running again in opposition – citing three people close to her. But a Truss spokesperson strongly denied the claim – pointing to her own recent comments saying she was “certainly not” considering another run for the top job.
It may seem an absurd idea, but she has retained support among some right-wingers obsessed with the idea that tax cuts can grow the economy. Mr Rees-Mogg, Priti Patel and Ranil Jayawardena MP, another Truss loyalist, will join her at a “Great British growth rally”.
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