Boris Johnson told to bury the hatchet — but just not in Rishi Sunak

For a man yet to publicly declare his intention to stand for the Conservative leadership, Boris Johnson has spent much of his holiday in the Dominican Republic rallying the troops for what might be an extraordinary comeback.

“I’m coming home, I’m up for it,” he told his leading supporter, James Duddridge, in the early hours of yesterday. This time, he promised, it would be different. If he won the contest his government would be drawn from all wings of the party, with allies even dangling the prospect of a potential comeback for Michael Gove.

The approach, however, is typically Johnsonian, with the former prime minister saying different things to different people.

Tory MPs are fearful of what could happen if Johnson stands in the contest

LEON NEAL/GETTY IMAGES

One Tory MP who has spoken to him within the past day said he