When Rishi Sunak stands up at a racing circuit on Tuesday to unveil his Conservative Party’s 76-page manifesto, his pit crew will want voters to conclude from the unsubtle metaphor that he’s back on track, with plans that are both high-octane and exciting.

Unfortunately, the location may also lend itself to more unflattering headlines about how the wheels have come off his campaign, after he begged voters to “find it in their hearts to forgive me” over his D-Day debacle last week.

“Our manifesto will contain tax cuts and no tax rises; Labour’s will have no tax cuts and they are not being clear about tax rises,” a senior Tory strategist says. They also dispute reports that Sunak had been holed up all weekend with his advisers in crisis meetings. “He was at a village fete and out campaigning. We are cracking on.”

For Conservatives eyeing up life after Sunak on 5 July, the manifesto is largely irrelevant, with conversation having already moved on. The new season in the Tory psychodrama, which had been playing out slowly in public and private over the last 18 months, has now reached warp speed. As Sunak’s Cabinet has been sidelined in favour of a presidential-style tour of the country, a behind the scenes race is taking place.

Former cabinet ministers ostensibly keeping spirits up by ringing round beleaguered Tory candidates offering their support also neatly dovetails with sounding out those same colleagues ahead of the official leadership race which will start immediately after the election.

Grant Shapps and Priti Patel are “being the most helpful” to candidates with an........

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