Can 'Boris The Buffoon' Become Prime Minister?

Boris Johnson signed a letter last week saying that whatever the result in the EU referendum David Cameron should remain as Prime Minister, seemingly making it clear that he's not interested in a post-Brexit coup.

Well, that's no longer required.

The former London mayor has long been making sure he's the man his party will turn to in its hour of need.

Last month I was in a hotel bar in Exeter while Mr Johnson was holding court with a dozen journalists after the first day of the Brexit Bus campaign through the West Country.

One reporter asked if he still expected Mr Cameron to offer him a place in the Cabinet after the referendum.

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Mr Johnson thought this unlikely and used this point to underpin the point that his stance on the EU was in no way political opportunism.

But perhaps Boris wasn't thinking about being asked to be in the Cabinet – rather he wanted to be the one doing the asking.

The bus tour that day around the West Country, like much of the campaign, has served to push up his profile and arguably also his Conservative leadership credentials.

The campaign happened to take place in many key Conservative marginal seats, and although he was travelling with Labour MP Gisela Stuart – it was a Boris extravaganza.

As one journalist pointed out "No one is calling it the Gisela Stuart Bus".

So, following a quasi-prime ministerial campaign: Boris with asparagus, Boris with a pasty, Boris with ice cream, he has potentially enlarged his fan base.

Conservatives are grateful that he'd travelled to their town; that he was standing up for their concerns about immigration and lost sovereignty to the EU.

Polls suggest two thirds of Conservative members were in favour of leaving the EU.

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Now Mr Cameron has gone, Mr Johnson needs to ensure his name is in the last two on the Conservative ballot – members could be expected to push him over the line.

His father Stanley Johnson, a Remain campaigner, told Sky News: "I think if a man has actually managed to get 17-and-a-half million people to vote for his programme - which he did with the other Brexiteers of course, he certainly deserves a place on the shortlist. At least his name ought to go forward."

Mr Johnson could be Prime Minister by October – preparing to renegotiate the UK's relationship with the EU and possibly calling a swift General Election in order to secure his own mandate, taking advantage of a perceived weak Labour leader.

What can possibly go wrong?

Well others such as George Osborne and Theresa May will seek to stop this, either standing against him or supporting an, as yet, un-spotted candidate.

As it stands now, Mr Johnson's main rival is his up-to-now ally, Michael Gove.

The man who said "count me out" of any leadership bid is the most popular choice among grassroots Conservatives.

They see him as a serious conviction politician and reformer.

It seems the Vote Leave campaign also considered Mr Gove as a high-value asset – putting him up against the Prime Minister in key debates rather than Boris.

The other downside for Mr Johnson is that some now see him as an opportunist who took a cynical stance on the EU to further his own ambitions – and, what's more, didn't always put in a convincing performance.

As he left his London home on Friday morning, he was mainly booed and jeered by the crowd waiting for him to appear.

In the crucible of such a serious argument, foppish tomfoolery could look lightweight - his niggles about regulation on the shape of bananas and the power of vacuum cleaners got a few laughs, but did it wear thin? Was it prime-ministerial?

Questions Conservatives will now be asking themselves.

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In an interview in February with Piers Morgan for GQ, Mr Johnson was asked if it was possible to be PM and a buffoon.

He replied: "I think it's very difficult to be both, I agree. Mind you, there have been quite a few prime ministers who've done a pretty god job of it."

Another good joke. Mr Johnson's light touch makes him one of Britain's most popular politicians.

His decision to campaign for Brexit has given him the spotlight, made him champion of the eurosceptics and led to victory over his friend and rival Mr Cameron.

But there are hurdles yet – and many wounded Conservatives loyal to Mr Cameron – who would see him stumble over them.