His immediate mission will be to extricate the UK from the EU. If he does that successfully, his next task will be to stop and reverse the drift into socialism in Britain. If this is neglected, the prospect of a Marxist-led Labour Party forming a government will continue to grow. It will not be easy, but it can be done. He will have to take command of the free-market narrative and drive it away from state interference. It requires a clear political head informed by classical economics, not the Keynesian variety which has led us all to economic disaster. But first, he has to deliver Brexit.

Leaving the EU will not be a slam-dunk. The Government's permanent staff, comprised of civil servants who know nothing else, are with few exceptions convinced Remainers. They have demonstrated they find it unnatural to regard Brexit positively. For this reason, Johnson must surround himself with ministers who are firm Brexiteers to ensure the Cabinet's resolve remains intact through the process, despite conflicting advice from senior civil servants. And into the run-up to the leaving date (31 October), he must put first and foremost the legal and democratic case for leaving, playing down EU trade fears. To put it in context, in 2017 exports of British goods to the EU at £164bn represented only 6.25% of GDP. Yes, that's what Mrs May wasted three years arguing about.