There is one thing that all Conservative activists and candidates are thinking when we go out knocking on doors and looking at the polls.

We would have won under Boris.

I am sure the regret is setting in for MPs who were responsible for ousting him as they realise they may have just put themselves out of a job.

Gone are the days where we were panicking being 1-2 points behind in the polls under Boris – now under Rishi we are desperate to just be within 20 points – praying that we don’t go under 100 seats.

As a party, we had a fantastic opportunity to transform this country even after Covid – instead a select number of Woke-wet politicians with personal ambitions decided to take down the biggest electoral asset that the Conservative party had.

They blamed #Partygate and poor polling – but after knocking on thousands of doors this election, I can absolutely say that not one voter has mentioned #Partygate – but in a marginal seat like Peterborough full of working-class Brits who are far away from the echo chambers of the Westminster bubble, they are more upset about what the party did to Boris, with many saying we should bring him back – than they are about any of the smears and nonsense published in the newspapers.

Real people don’t care about #Partygate, they care about democracy and they care about having a Prime Minister who can speak to and connect with people like them.

It is too late. Defeat is inevitable. But one fact remains. I want Boris back, the country wants Boris back and our party needs Boris back.

We all know that things would have been different under Boris – and this is a concrete example of how those stuck in the Westminster bubble whether they’re politicians, commentators or indeed journalists, continue to be out of touch with the views of ordinary British people.

So let’s do the right thing and bring Boris back.