Will Liz Truss succeed Boris Johnson? Expect the unexpected

A leadership contest is more about who Tory MPs don’t want, than who they endorse as the next PM, writes Andrew Grice

The field will be very wide – about 10 candidates are already in the frame (Getty)

A Conservative Party leadership election was under way long before Boris Johnson eventually bowed to the inevitable. Even before the Chris Pincher scandal became the straw that broke the party’s back, Johnson’s potential successors had been wooing Tory backbenchers.

“I’ve never had so many invites for coffee, drinks or a chat from people suddenly interested in me,” one newbie Tory MP quipped. “They have been on manoeuvres for weeks.” Some candidates expected Johnson to limp on until the autumn. Now the wooing will go into overdrive.

The field will be very wide – about 10 candidates are already in the frame – although some will test the water and decide not to run when they do not muster enough support. For now, the outcome is unpredictable.