Guido has heard this charge from a few different places – Cameron is not playing to win, but to get a place. He is too young, too unblooded as well as too posh. He’s running a phantom campaign just to get offered a senior post by the winner. That surely must be part of many of the wannabe candidates calculations.

• On a recent appearance on the Beeb’s Any Questions, old Malcolm Rifkind answered a question about the C.A.P. with repeated references to ECUs. Hello Malcolm old boy, the European Currency Unit went a long time ago, years after you lost your seat in fact, they have “Euros” now over there… Yes Euros, not ECUs, can you hear me Malcolm? (We’ve gone decimal as well).
• Hague is supposedly letting it be known to candidates (not including Basher) that he is up for being Shadow Chancellor.