Comment: Johnson-Osborne spat only the beginning

The battle among the Tory party's elite to replace David Cameron has already begun. Picture: Neil Hanna

THOSE looking for evidence of an Old Etonian elite running the country for the benefit of themselves need look no further than the bizarre Tory soap opera that played out over the weekend.

The Boris and George show which appeared in various Tory-leaning newspapers is one of two old Etonians seeking to make sure he is the one best placed to replace another old Etonian, Prime Minister David Cameron.

The story, as far as it is worth retelling, is that the Chancellor George Osborne suggested London Mayor Boris Johnson should run for parliament before the 2015 election to be part of the team and improve the chances of a Tory victory. This led to a certain amount of anger from Team Boris, who saw it as an attempt by Mr Osborne to discredit their man or force him to share in the responsibility for an election defeat.