Support: London Mayor Boris Johnson and his wife Marina, a barrister and mother of his four children
At last the worst kept secret at Westminster is finally out in the open: Boris Johnsons covert campaign to be the next Prime Minister has gone public.
A Kitchen Cabinet has been assembled to run not just his leadership campaign but to support him in the first months of his premiership.
The unofficial campaign team, known as FOBs or Friends of Boris, are limbering up to do battle with the acolytes of George Osborne, the Chancellor.
The FOBs are drawing strong support from the 2010 intake of 148 Tory MPs the brightest in decades many of whom have been overlooked for promotion.
Some are openly contemptuous of David Cameron and the Chancellor, having had only fleeting conversations with them in the last four years, and have fallen into a grateful Johnsons open arms.
Crucially, before he could signal to his backers he would run for a seat, the priapic Mayor of London had to first persuade his long-suffering wife Marina, a full-time barrister and mother of his four children, of the plans merits.
Over an intimate dinner more than 12 months ago, with a group of his closest supporters including his Chief of Staff at City Hall, Sir Eddie Lister, Marina dropped her objections, which revolved around the impact on their teenage children.
One supporter said: None of this could be happening without Marinas blessing. She is remarkably strong, clever, and fiercely loyal to her husband.
Meanwhile Sir Eddie, who ran the flagship Tory borough of Wandsworth from 1992 to 2011, has consistently argued that Johnson can be Mayor (his term ends in 2016) and an MP at the same time.
Discussions: Mr Johnson had an intimate dinner more than 12 months ago with a group of his closest supporters including his Chief of Staff at City Hall, Sir Eddie Lister (right)
Eddie is THE backbone of the Boris team and is geared up for the leadership battle, added the supporter. He and Marina are at one on this.
The key figure, however, behind yesterdays landmark speech on Europe was Sir Gerard Lyons, the Mayors economic adviser, who is on the board of the Euro-sceptic think tank Open Europe.
A respected economic forecaster, he correctly predicted before the euro was launched in 1999 that the European single currency would run into serious trouble.
Lyons is already working closely with Johnson on a manifesto which will be published when there is a leadership contest.
Economic adviser: The key figure behind yesterday's landmark speech on Europe was Sir Gerard Lyons (pictured)
An exit from European Union, if there is no significant claw back of powers from Brussels, is at the top of his policy list.
To his Tory critics, of course, Johnson is a disloyal, posturing lazy clown who is not an homme serieux.
Since he made his mind up, more than a year ago, to run for a seat he has attempted to address the damaging criticisms by being scrupulously on message in his weekly column in a national newspaper and in his public outings.
Johnson has also been on the rubber chicken circuit of Tory activists in the north where Tory support is weakest, far from his metropolitan London heartland.
The first sign of this new approach was at the Tory conference in Manchester last year when, addressing a major rally of party activists, he delivered a markedly boring speech and refused to take questions.
I was in the audience and heard no less than three Tory MPs afterwards conclude: Boris is going for the leadership.
As for the speech yesterday, focused on Europe, that was designed to start the process (at last) of trying to depict Johnson as a statesman and not a comic.
The next big public statement will come in the autumn at the Tory Party conference when Johnson, the darling of the Tory faithful, will be greeted warmly on stage by David Cameron.
This speech, which is already being drafted, will include the trademark jokes, but will be grave in tone warning of the perils of Labour winning the election.
'Eddie is THE backbone of the Boris team and is geared up for the leadership battle. He and Marina are at one on this'
Supporter
It will stress the theme of Camerons strong leadership but, in the process, remind the audience beyond the conference hall that Johnson is one of the biggest beasts in the political jungle.
As for the funds, the money is already pledged to bankroll the Johnson campaign. Lord Marland, one of the richest men at Westminster, is a major backer.
A former trade minister, he was founding director of Jardine Lloyd Thompson, the insurer, and he is part of the Mayors backroom team.
There are prominent potential backers in the House of Lords, where Cameron has alienated people by demoting the new Leader of the Lords, Baroness Stowell.
There are big players to wheel out and Marland can do it for Boris, said another Johnson backer.
Involved: As for the funds, the money is already pledged to bankroll the Johnson campaign. Lord Marland (pictured), one of the richest men at Westminster, is a major backer
The multi-millionaire David Ross, a joint founder of Carphone Warehouse, is also ready to give money.
In the past, it is true, even Johnsons most devoted admirers conceded he had too few backers among MPs. But with so many passed over for advancement such as Jesse Norman, one of the cleverest MPs from the 2010 intake he now has a bulging list of supporters.
'None of this could be happening without Marinas blessing. She is remarkably strong, clever, and fiercely loyal to her husband'
Supporter
And then there are those yet to be counted. Significantly, Johnson recently dined alone with Sajid Javid, the newly promoted Culture Secretary, who has been tipped as a future leader.
Javid, the son of a Pakistani immigrant bus driver, is regarded as a loyalist to the Chancellor.
But Osbornes support could collapse if Cameron, his great friend and ally, is defeated at the election.
As for the man himself, Johnson once mocked the idea of running for the leadership as about as likely as being reincarnated as an olive.
Now the jokes are over. Whenever Cameron goes or is fatally wounded he will be ready.
The blond king across the water has assembled his court to operate the levers of power if and when he seizes control at the Palace of Westminster. And that court is already very much on manoeuvres.
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