‘Old pal’ Dave helps Boris in race for No. 10

WHeN Boris Johnson gave his friend david Cameron just ten minutes’ notice that he was backing Leave in the eU Referendum — a devastating blow to the then prime Minister and the Remain campaign — a serious rift opened up.

They’d long been school, university and political rivals, but enjoyed a good relationship. For Cameron, it was a bitter betrayal. However, he said later: ‘We are still friends — just not such good friends.’

in a twist, i now hear that Cameron is quietly advising Boris on his Tory leadership campaign. After he romped home first in last week’s ballot, Boris headed to the Carlton Club in St James, the spiritual home of the Conservative party, where was spotted locked in conversation with the former pM.

i hear that Cameron had initially privately supported Health Secretary Matt Hancock who, at just 40, had positioned himself as the next-generation candidate. He withdrew from the contest on Friday after securing just 20 votes.

But it seems Cameron has

always assumed that Boris would win — gaffes or revelations permitting — and clearly wants to give his two cents. One Cameron confidant told me: ‘ david is delighted to be asked to give advice and he buried the hatchet with Boris long ago.’

There is another theory. Could Boris be trying to persuade Cameron to take a seat in the House of Lords and serve in his Cabinet?

incidentally, there is no sign of a thaw in Cameron’s relations with Michael Gove, whom he’s yet to forgive for backing Brexit. in his upcoming memoirs, For The Record, he singles out Gove, the man credited with being the intellectual powerhouse behind Brexit, for special criticism.