'Meritocrat v toff': Johnson's losing battle for the Oxford Union

Neil Sherlock recalls a sense of entitlement from his rival in race to become society president

Boris Johnson seemed convinced his charm alone would be enough to secure him the prize, but ultimately he was thwarted by a rival who sought to portray him as a charlatan - only to eventually triumph by changing his political colours completely.

This is not the story of the Conservative leadership candidate's recent political career, his humbling at the hands of Michael Gove in 2016, or his sudden devotion to the Brexit cause - but of his first forays into student politics about 35 years ago, according to the man who beat him.