Good week
Boris Johnson The former foreign secretary is said to be working quietly to persuade moderate MPs he shares their values in general, despite his position on Brexit. May have been helped by the emergence of Raab as a bigger threat to that group’s values.
Rory Stewart Has made an early impression with a series of idiosyncratic social media posts and well-received media appearances. The danger is that his blaze of publicity will not be matched by the support he needs among MPs, particularly those on the right of the party who will be alienated by his opposition to a no-deal Brexit.
Michael Gove Believed to be having some success in winning over moderates, he is said to be gaining ground over Jeremy Hunt as a means of keeping more radical candidates out of the final two. A Daily Mail column by his wife Sarah Vine – bemoaning his inability to fill the dishwasher but praising his commitment to Brexit – kept him in the headlines.
Mark Harper Almost unknown outside of Westminster but proclaimed his underdog, outsider status as he announced and immediately produced six endorsements. Has at least some momentum, if only on the basis that no one in the outside world considered him a candidate a week ago.
James Cleverly Has made little impression so far but in a crowded field he will consider it a success to survive intact and keep his powder dry, should an opportunity arise to make a move.
Kit Malthouse Proclaimed himself the candidate of a new generation – and although he sits at 100-1 with bookmakers he will hope to have given himself a better chance of a senior job in the next government.
Bad week
Dominic Raab Lumbered with a “stop Raab” campaign against him, he is increasingly viewed as a problematic candidate among those on the left of the party. His “clean campaign” pledge did little to change that and his assertion he was not a feminist was quickly seized on by most of the other candidates as a chance to contrast their own feminist credentials.
Matt Hancock Spent much of the week in Scotland, seeking endorsements from Conservatives north of the border. His message in response to Boris Johnson’s dismissal of business warnings against Brexit – “To the people who say fuck business, I say fuck fuck business” – won him airtime but outraged many within the party. Some were amused when he went on to sign the clean campaign pledge.
Jeremy Hunt Backbenchers have noticed his tally of declared supporters has not grown, while his apparent flip-flopping on no deal has not gone down well with some. Has lost ground to Gove as the moderates’ choice.
Andrea Leadsom With only two declared supporters so far there were rumours that she could pull out of the race at an early stage, with the aim of securing herself a top job by backing a rival. The likes of Johnson and Raab have already secured much of the support she had before conceding to Theresa May in 2016.
Sajid Javid Daily announcements of supporters have kept him from falling away. Although he cannot be written off, there is a concern he lacks a natural constituency among MPs.
Esther McVey Although a rightwing line on LGBT relationship education may go down well with the rank and file, her remarks on the subject backfired when they drew swift criticism from fellow MPs Amber Rudd and Justine Greening, highlighting her potential to be divisive.
