No, that’s ridiculous, if you want my take, the fact that anyone believes Osborne is backing Boris only proves what a master strategist he is, and even if it looks as if Boris trusts Osborne, that’s him playing a long game, using Osborne while it suits him, to look more like a team player. So what happens is – I got this from a very senior Tory – Boris accepts Osborne’s support, then if Cameron screws up the election, Boris implicates Osborne, but what Boris still doesn’t get is Osborne can’t stand him and the whole Osborne story was dreamed up by the May camp to undermine Boris and isolate Cameron – remember they barely speak since she called him incompetent?
Well, obviously Osborne’s circle isn’t denying the story, it gives him a chance to look modest for once, but come on, if he’s not interested in the leadership, why is he still dyeing his hair? I’m hearing that behind the scenes he has this complete game plan that puts all the blame on Cameron if there’s no majority, so he’s free to take on May. Forget Paterson, and Sajid’s peaked too soon. No, I’m not forgetting Boris, but according to a very senior tearoom source, he’s way behind Theresa with backbenchers, even though she’s a woman, she’s not posh and they don’t want another arrogant public schoolboy. Why do you think Boris agreed to canvass, he hates the provinces, he’s just worried that Cameron has jinxed all Etonians. But the more he acts loyal, the more submissive he looks, my sources say the rumour about Cameron standing down after the Euro referendum is pure Boris-control, and don’t write Gove out of the plot, his friends say he’ll never forgive Cameron for the ringtone bollocking, which puts him on Osborne’s team, unless he picks Boris. To get back at Cameron. Because even though Gove hates Etonians, Cameron hasn’t forgiven Boris for calling him a swot, and Gove will never forgive Theresa briefing against him, so that’s Gove solidly in the stop-May campaign, which has to be Osborne’s biggest problem – well, assuming you know anything at all about Gove. Or politics.
