Boris is stoking the fires this weekend, telling the FT he would not rule out a third term as mayor leading up to a handover pre-2020:

“During the whole Syria thing, for the first time in years I wished I was in parliament. I have to admit that I watched that and I thought… I wished. I wished… I want to do this job to the best of my ability for the next two-and-a-half years and then heaven knows what will happen.”

Most interestingly the FT name Adam Afriyie as running a shadow campaign for Boris, and would stand aside when the time comes:

“Adam Afriyie, the little-known but ambitious MP for Windsor and an admirer of Johnson, has assembled a leadership campaign organisation which could be quickly retooled to support a Boris leadership bid if the London mayor returns to parliament.”

Well it wouldn’t be the eve of Tory conference without some less than subtle positioning, would it…