Speaking to City AM at the start of this week the former John Lewis boss and West Midlands mayor, Andy Street, insisted that the Tories can beat Reform if they embrace the centre-right and resist the urge to fight Nigel Farage on his own turf.

The new vehicle launched to make this case is called Prosper UK, and it’s backed by a lineup of Conservatives who share some common characteristics; they opposed Brexit, never liked Boris Johnson and consider themselves to be sensible, pragmatic centrists.

If the names of Prosper’s supporters read like a list of figures from........

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