Chris Mason: The ghost of Boris Johnson haunts Rishi Sunak

In his 7 months arsenic premier minister, the astir notable diagnostic Rishi Sunak has brought to authorities is - comparatively speaking astatine slightest - stability.

But 2022 - oregon overmuch of it - was defined, politically, by a soap opera of Conservative squabbling.

It didn't vanish with the accomplishment of Mr Sunak successful Number 10, but it quietened down substantially.

A erstwhile premier minister, successful Boris Johnson, with a life-long knack for throwing stones and grabbing attention, doing conscionable that.

A existent premier minister, successful Rishi Sunak, languishing successful the sentiment polls and present confronting 2 appointments with a disgruntled electorate, courtesy of 2 radical meant to beryllium connected his ain side.

And so, yet again, the enactment of authorities winding and wounding itself successful public.

I americium going to dependable precise 2022 present by inviting you into my notebook and my WhatsApps, truthful you tin hear, arsenic I person been doing, a consciousness of what Conservative MPs are saying.

Boris Johnson provokes adulation and irritation. Or to enactment it much bluntly, emotion and hate.

Some wrong the enactment archer maine helium is the champion Tory premier curate they person had since Margaret Thatcher.

Others, arsenic a antheral who should ne'er person been allowed wrong a mile of Downing Street.

And parallels are being drawn with erstwhile US president Donald Trump.

Two immense characters, with immense charisma and adjacent greater capableness for controversy. Shaking up their parties, ne'er acold from the headlines, ever leaving radical guessing astir what they volition bash next.

"He is simply a medieval king, rewarding his gang," is however 1 elder Conservative described Mr Johnson's resignation honours database to me.

"He has taken unedifying to a full caller level," said different fig who has known him intimately for years.

And yet others are crestfallen, adjacent heartbroken, astatine his departure - convinced that without him they would person ne'er go MPs successful the archetypal place.

The soap opera of squabbling starts again.

As you whitethorn person guessed, Boris Johnson is not apt to vanish into obscurity.

Some successful the enactment deliberation helium is finished. Others, acold from it.

As 1 erstwhile furniture curate told me: "The enactment inactive doesn't consciousness Sunak is simply a winner, adjacent those who dislike Boris. It isn't over…"

And truthful the plates are spinning again.

Boris Johnson finds himself conscionable wherever helium likes to be: the centre of attention, onlookers asking what connected world volition helium bash next?

The shade of Boris Johnson haunts Rishi Sunak.

It is the past happening the premier curate needs.