Boris on the backbenches: What former PMs should – and should not – do next

After observing several decades of ministers shuffling from frontline roles to the quiet mundanities of Civvy Street, I’ve compiled a handy list of dos and don’ts

As you read this, Boris Johnson is no doubt yoking his oxen to the plough, Cincinnatus-style. And after Liz Truss’s wholesale cabinet clear-out, he’s not the only Conservative MP contemplating a world outside government.

It got me thinking how hard it is for ministers attuned to the daily battles and brouhaha of ministerial life to adapt to the quiet mundanities of Civvy Street. And the painful truth that some make a better job of it than others.

After observing several decades of ministers shuffling from the frontline to the backbenches, I’ve compiled a handy list of dos and don’ts. Here it is:

DO speak up in the Commons.

Rishi Sunak did this only yesterday, deploying knowledge gleaned from his many years in the Treasury during a debate on the Financial Services and Markets Bill. Theresa May is a past master at it. She rose to her feet to support Truss in her PMQs debut – no doubt a relief for the Downing Street newbie given May’s backbench zingers aimed at Johnson.

DO stay relevant and classy.

May always has something of substance to say in the Commons and this is half the battle for the ministerial has-been. But while Johnson’s predecessor retains her influence in parliamentary debates, other former PMs and ministers make their voice heard by championing passions and causes outside the chamber. Labour prime minister Gordon Brown left Westminster, but remains a figure of some clout by campaigning on education across the globe.

DO selected media moments.

Former prime ministers can and should pick and choose when they want to opine, so when they do speak out it tends to matter more. Sir John Major’s interventions on Brexit and on Johnson’s lockdown rule-breaking led the news because he chose his moment. Sir Tony Blair is the same, despite the controversy over his past record and the Iraq war.

More dubious is whether to accept invitations to head to the jungle or onto the dance floor. It worked for former culture secretary Nadine Dorries, but chomping on camel toe and ostrich anus (as she did) isn’t a great look for most former ministers. Ditto former Labour chancellor Ed Balls’ Strictly Come Dancing turn. For him, it did wonders, showing us all he had a warmth and sense of humour some had never previously glimpsed. As a result it paved the way for a new TV career.

Boris Johnson could pick up where he left off on Have I Got News For You. And there’s little doubt he’ll be able to “put hay in the loft” (as one friend has memorably described his post-Downing Street earning potential) with any number of media and publishing opportunities.

But here are a few pitfalls for him and his ousted colleagues to bear in mind:

DON’T be a backseat driver.

Margaret Thatcher believed she was “very good” at steering from behind but Major described her interventions as “intolerable”. Truss may soon take the same view if Johnson provides a running commentary.

DON’T take a controversial job.

David Cameron’s post-political career was jogging along quite nicely until he made millions from the collapsed finance company Greensill Capital. Now he’s struggling to put that debacle behind him.

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Likewise, Blair has been criticised for his role advising countries with poor human rights records, such as Kazakhstan. At the time, a spokesperson said he’d always been clear about the country’s “real challenges over issues of human rights and political reform” but insisted that it had made “huge progress”.

DON’T publish your memoirs if they’re more than 400 pages.

Tony Blair’s magnum opus ran to 700 pages, as did David Cameron’s. But few people are that interesting. So rather than bloviating, brevity is the name of the game. Fabulous indiscretion helps too. Alan Clark’s diaries did the job – at a mere 400 pages in paperback. I’m hoping Johnson’s forthcoming thoughts are in a similar vein.

A final thought though for all those ex-ministers eyeing the future with apprehension: there’s always the plough, and – like Cincinnatus – the prospect of an eventual return to a top job.

Cathy Newman is presenter and investigations editor of Channel 4 News