A word of warning to those looking to topple Boris Johnson

To stand against Boris Johnson might be a grave error – he’s annoyingly difficult to bet against, writes Salma Shah

Liz Truss apparently has donors lined up to support her should she decide to take part in a leadership contest (Olivier Douliery/AP)

For the political understudies in cabinet waiting in the wings to finally get a chance at the leading role, be warned: “The hand that wields the knife will never wear the crown.”

This old proverb and cliche in Westminster circles is used to make ambitious “PMs in waiting” think twice before upending the system. It’s a reference to Michael Heseltine, who resigned from the cabinet and waited years for his chance to challenge Margaret Thatcher in a leadership contest. He won in a sense – he got rid of her – only for John Major to be her replacement. Galling.

The latest set of egos are currently manoeuvering to take advantage of Boris Johnson’s travails. The Sunday newspapers, a favoured receptacle for insider tidbits, were full of insinuations that this cabinet minister or that was in advanced preparations for their tenure at the top. Apparently, Liz Truss has donors lined up to support her. I wonder if her supposed donors have hedged and are also supporting two or three other candidates, too? A tactic that has been cruelly deployed in previous contests.

But a word to the wise: timing is everything. Start your campaign too early and it could be your political career falling from view. This isn’t just a general rule but a specific one – to stand against Boris Johnson who has defied the laws of political gravity might be a grave error indeed. One never knows how he might bounce back in the future. He’s annoyingly difficult to bet against.

It is, of course, far too tempting. One mustn’t let a good crisis go to waste. The sheer scale of ambition harboured by those at the top table cannot be understated. They are a mere bad by-election result away from history. Who can blame them for wanting to make the most of the opportunity that is presenting itself. Loyalty in this scenario is practised by losers, literally.

The hungry apparatchiks that surround their principals will be pushing and cajoling and making space to showcase their boss’s best qualities, but do leadership contenders know themselves well enough yet? Understanding one’s weaknesses before entering high office is not something many dwell on; opting instead to focus on a new wardrobe or a slick blow dry.

To keep up to speed with all the latest opinions and comment sign up to our free weekly Voices newsletter by clicking here

The selectorate might be angry now and looking for answers but they have a tendency to overcorrect. Boris Johnson was the antidote to Theresa May, and May was supposed to be the grown-up after David Cameron’s laid back attitude. Most of the time people have an anxious reaction to what they need. It doesn’t always make for good choices.

Ambition is often the enemy of good sense. And while we pretend to believe that we are a mostly modern technocratic structure governed by rational evidence gathering, the undercurrent of our system is still as ruthless as a Tudor court, making and destroying careers on whims and personal grievances.

It’s not smart or tactically brilliant to say so, but let the situation unfold organically. It is the best way of proceeding. In a world heightened by anxious self-absorption, the crux of what people are looking for is often missed. If you want the top job, don’t be in a rush or it’ll be over before it’s begun.

Salma Shah was special adviser to Sajid Javid, from 2018 to 2019. She was also a special adviser at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport