Donald Trump had built his campaign strategy around beating Joe Biden and had to pivot when he was pushed out. Here in the small corner of the UK that is Tory-land, Robert Jenrick was counting on facing James Cleverly.

But with former home secretary Cleverly knocked out, Jenrick’s strategy for the final part of the Conservative leadership campaign has been recalibrated. A news blitz is under way to highlight the difference between him and Kemi Badenoch, both right-wingers.

Conservative leadership ballot papers are landing on doormats on Thursday. They will either be returned this weekend by post or via QR code straightaway. The Tories are close to making up their minds, but Jenrick is still pumping out policy in stark contrast to Badenoch who is refusing to do any.

Badenoch, the 44-year-old former business secretary, has argued for returning to core Conservative values, putting principles above policies. The actual plan for renewal, her allies say, will come in time; the Tories need to collectively come to policies via principles first.

But Jenrick sees policy as key. On Wednesday, he delivered an announcement-heavy speech in a small room above a Westminster restaurant. He rattled through his true blue wish list: reducing income tax; slashing the time for welfare claimants to seek a job; getting rid of Mickey Mouse university degrees and building new nuclear power plants.........

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