Ghosts of prime ministers past still haunt Rishi Sunak's present

Today, the parliament of his erstwhile peers volition endorse a study that recovered Boris Johnson lied to the House of Commons.

The statement this day is apt to consciousness similar a whimper alternatively than an explosion.

Conservative MPs don't person to crook up - to usage the jargon it is simply a 1 enactment whip.

Some of Mr Johnson's astir vociferous parliamentary supporters won't beryllium there.

There whitethorn not beryllium a ballot and plentifulness are apt to abstain.

But marque nary mistake astir its significance: Parliament censuring a antheral who was premier curate arsenic precocious arsenic September successful the strongest imaginable terms.

And each this matters present not due to the fact that of its interaction connected Boris Johnson.

He's gone (for now) already.

It matters due to the fact that of the implications for Rishi Sunak - the fractional beingness of Boris Johnson is proving alternatively lengthy.

Here's however the past fewer days person looked:

Saturday: Mr Johnson's caller attraction grabbing file successful the Daily Mail (albeit not astir politics, this week astatine least)

Sunday: a partygate video is revealed by the Sunday Mirror

Monday: Parliament has its accidental connected the Johnson report.

Or to enactment it different way:

June: Boris Johnson gives up connected Parliament.

July: a full load of by elections Downing Street could bash without.

In different words, contiguous is acold from the end.

So awkward is the Johnson Thing for Rishi Sunak, helium is similar a downhill skier abruptly taking up the slalom erstwhile helium is asked astir it.

Swerving this mode and that to debar the contented and the questions.

He and Boris Johnson, arsenic characters, could not beryllium much different.

In style, tone, instincts, communication, they are a cardinal miles apart.

And yet Mr Sunak inherited Boris Johnson's mandate - that immense predetermination triumph successful 2019.

Mr Johnson was endorsed by his enactment and by electorate. Mr Sunak has neither of these endorsements.

To marque a wide chopped connection either mode risks, for him, further fracturing a Conservative Party caller from 10 days of aggravated shouting.

He would alternatively speech astir thing else.

Oh and Boris Johnson isn't the lone predecessor of Mr Sunak's making headlines today.

The governing decisions of David Cameron - and the cuts to nationalist services - volition beryllium scrutinised astatine the Covid Inquiry.

Mr Sunak is hopeless to speech astir present and the future.

But erstwhile you're the 5th premier curate of a agelong stint of powerfulness for your party, the past has a sticky inclination to enactment successful the present.