The court of Boris Johnson: the factions competing for approval

How will Boris Johnson govern? With even Jeremy Hunt allies privately braced for defeat in two weeks’ time when the result is announced, talk has turned to what a Johnson government could look like. This relates not just to his Cabinet but how No. 10 will be run and who Johnson will take guidance from. ConservativeHome’s Paul Goodman has predicted that a Johnson government will be much more like a court than his predecessors – with groups of courtiers offering rival advice: ‘He will listen to these groups and play them off’.

So, which groups will be vying for Johnson’s approval? Over the length of the Tory leadership campaign, Johnson has seen his support base expand significantly with a number of different factions forming. Each have their own appeal to the former mayor of London – and their own aims:

The old retainers

Members: Ben Wallace, Nigel Adams, Jake Berry, Conor Burns

These are the old time parliamentary supporters of Johnson who have been with him for the long haul.