Rishi Sunak is winning because there is no opposition

As the chancellor prepares to deliver his Budget next month, he knows he dominates the centre ground, writes John Rentoul

Rishi Sunak, dominating the centre ground of British politics (REUTERS)

Bookmakers try to drum up business by bombarding journalists with press releases in their area of interest. So I get ones about politicians. Before the Budget in three weeks’ time I will be quoted the odds on how many sips of water Rishi Sunak will take during his speech, how often he will say “plan for jobs” and for how long he will speak. 

But today I got one saying that the odds on Sunak as the next Conservative leader had halved this week. He has gone from 4/1 to 2/1, which means that the bookmaker thinks there is a 33 per cent chance the chancellor will succeed Boris Johnson. 

I don’t know what has changed over the past week, apart from this bookmaker’s desire for publicity, but it is certainly true that for most of the past year in which he has been chancellor, Sunak has been the runaway favourite for the succession.