ONE minute you are cock of the walk, the next a feather duster. It is a favourite saying of Piers Morgan (an expert in such matters) and suited the scene perfectly on the Sunday politics shows yesterday.

Sajid Javid, Grant Shapps, Jeremy Hunt: each on his own would usually be deemed a big enough political beast to bag the top interview slot. Together with Tom Tugendhat, another contender to be Tory leader and Prime Minister, they had to vie for attention like any old job candidates.

Sky News’ Sophy Ridge on Sunday put Tom Tugendhat through his paces (as did Martin Geissler for BBC Scotland’s The Sunday Show), followed by Grant Shapps. On BBC1’s Sunday Morning, Sophie Raworth interviewed Jeremy Hunt and Sajid Javid.

The main UK-wide talking point was tax cuts. All were all in favour; where they differed was in how they would pay for them.

Former premier Theresa May once said there were no magic money trees, and ex-Chancellor Rishi Sunak has been warning against listening to “fairy tales” about tax cuts, so where were Messrs Hunt and company going to find the money if not in swingeing spending cuts?

Mr Tugendhat, chair of the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee, said he had a 10-year plan for growth, more details soon.

Mr Hunt wanted business to be first in line for tax cuts, Mr Shapps planned to make efficiency savings, as did Mr Javid. The former Health Secretary had the longest list of proposed cuts but again, details to come. For a change it was not a Labour politician being pressed to make predictions about spending.

Soft spots were probed and answers attempted. Mr Tugendhat, for instance, has not served in government in any job. What made him think he could step into the job of Prime Minister?

He cited his past life as a soldier used to leading teams. Had he been of a different political stripe he could have given the example of Tony Blair, another newbie who went on to govern successfully for a time. Doubtless Mr Blair, should he be asked his views on the Tory leadership race, will bring this up.

Mr Tugendhat was also asked about his background. Any doubt that this is going to be an issue vanished with that “Who Do You Think You Are”-style video of Rishi Sunak’s last week.

Mr Tugendhat, son of a High Court judge, nephew of a Tory peer, pupil at St Paul’s, what did he know of struggles? He said the greatest advantage he had had in life was a loving and strong family. He also spoke of serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, being wounded, and what it meant to serve with people from all parts of the UK.

Ridge and Raworth each had a quickfire quiz on personality and policy. Interviewers have been keen on these since Theresa May confessed that the naughtiest thing she had ever done was run through a wheatfield. “The farmers weren’t too pleased about that,” she told ITV News’ Julie Etchingham. It was hardly responsible for the electoral drubbing Mrs May went on to take, but it did not help.

From Mr Tugendhat’s quiz we learned that the MP for Tonbridge and Malling has not done drugs. He is not sure about the “naughtiest thing” he has ever done but “I invaded a country once”, and his proudest moments have been marriage and the birth of his children.

Grant Shapps swerved the “naughtiest thing” question, saying “I’m just not a natural rebel”.

He spoke about being in a crash in his early 20s in America, which left him in a coma for a week, and a later fight against cancer.

Mr Hunt started his interview by announcing that Esther McVey, the MP for Tatton and a former TV presenter, would be his deputy, his “John Prescott” as he put it, should he be elected leader. There is at least one candidate, then, willing to cite Tony Blair as an example The MP often seen as on the centre left of his party said he supported the policy of sending some asylum seekers to Rwanda (as did the other three contenders).

The question that seemed to take Mr Hunt and Mr Javid by surprise was whether they backed another Scottish independence referendum.

Not in the next 10 years, said Mr Hunt, a decade at least said his fellow Tory. On The Sunday Show Mr Tugendhat said he did not want to get into a discussion of “hypotheticals”, much to the frustration of host Martin Geissler.

Last week The Sunday Show telly team had packed up for the summer, only to return yesterday. At the end of the half hour the most Geissler would wager is that they “probably” would not be on next week but who knows?” Indeed.

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