Rishi Sunak called the prime minister only moments before he went public with his decision to quit. He had told only his closest aides about his decision as he spent the day locked in talks with them.
Sources close to the chancellor said it was clear relations with Boris Johnson had broken down over the preparation for a much-trailed joint speech on the economy. But even though it had become increasingly clear they were fundamentally incompatible, it was as the Chris Pincher scandal deepened that MPs most loyal to the chancellor asked him to finally take a stand against the prime minister.
