‘Curse of Heseltine’: how the wheels came off Rishi Sunak’s No 10 campaign

Ex-chancellor was leading frontrunner in the race to succeed Boris Johnson but his dreams soon unravelled

One of the most familiar refrains of the Conservative leadership contest was candidates earnestly inviting comparisons to Margaret Thatcher.

But after his resignation as chancellor brought down Boris Johnson's wobbling house of cards, a Tory insider said Rishi Sunak found himself with the curse of Heseltine hanging round his neck".