A wafer-thin majority could put the next PM in peril from day one

Politics Explained: The small margins between parties means that, whoever wins the Conservative crown, even a few dissenting MPs could have dire consequences for Britain’s new leader

In January 2017 Theresa May enjoyed a huge poll lead over Labour – the most commanding “political honeymoon” of any modern Conservative prime minister – as she marked six months in No 10.

It’s fair to say the new Tory leader – whether it is Boris Johnson or Jeremy Hunt – will see an abrupt end to their own honeymoon shortly after entering office, if they are indeed lucky enough to have one at all.

They will inherit the parliamentary arithmetic that plagued May’s government ever since the snap general election, resulting in three defeats to her Brexit agreement and the halting of any radical domestic reforms.