Carter – a southern devout Democrat farmer to run against big business republicans – might logically have seemed better than a 254 – 1 shot I think.

In the same way my only bet as an adult (apart from the lottery) was @50 – 1 ManU to perform the treble 1999.

Bojo may touch their sweet spots but his misjudgements suggest that he would have very big problems unifying the UKIP/Tory Party.

There’s no doubt he is losing patience with London, or that his aim is high. His Dully Tele biographer seemed to think that was his sole fixed point I recall.

I suspect that Boris shares similar suspicions.

I, for one, would not be surprised to see Boris leader of the Tories by 2012 and win a general election in 2013 or 2014.

In 1979, Pierre Trudeau and his Liberal Party were loathed after 11 years in power. Joe Clarke won a small majority. Trudeau retired. Clarke, who had not sealed the deal with Canadians, lost the Budget vote, Trudeau unretired and won in 1980.

As my gran used to say – I have a feeling in my waters.

I had the same feeling in Dec 1975 when I met a southern Democrat from Georgia in Vermont. A British betting firm was giving 254-1 odds to a James Carter.

I wired my mother $100 to place the bet. A year later, I learned that my mum – who didn’t agree with betting – had bought premium bonds for me!

It was the first and only time I ever gambled.