Why David Cameron’s return exposes Rishi Sunak’s lack of direction

Over the summer a senior Tory told a story about the prime minister to journalists at a party. Rishi Sunak, the minister laughed, is such a micro-manager that he even tells his driver which route to take when he’s being driven home. He thinks he could do that job better than the guy who is paid to do it, he added.

As with many anecdotes told on a summer evening it may or may not be completely accurate, but it’s the whiff of truth that made it so appealing to the Tory MP retelling it.

Because Sunak never really stopped being chancellor, he just moved down the corridor to a new office and changed the sign on the door.

Cameron with Sunak in No 10

SIMON DAWSON/10 DOWNING STREET

That’s the accusation levelled at the