In a moment of whimsy, I went on the Betfred website (for the first and last time ever) to see what the betting was like on the next Tory leader. Here goes:

So far, only one would-be leader has put her hat into the ring ahead of the Prime Minister’s formal resignation speech on Thursday afternoon – and that’s Attorney General Suella Braverman who is 33/1 to land the top job.

The big mover in the market is Defence Secretary Wallace – the ex-Scots Guard captain and Wyre and Preston North MP who worked as a ski instructor in Austria before moving to Sandhurst.

The 52-year-old, who lists his hobbies as rugby, skiing, motorsports and horse racing, was 8/1 to become the next Tory leader not long ago, but is now the outright favourite at 9/4 after up to £5,000 was wagered on him on Thursday morning in London and in Lancashire.

Next in the betting is ex-chancellor Rishi Sunak at 4/1, ahead of Penny Mordaunt at 6/1 – while the odds have come in slightly on Foreign Secretary Liz Truss who is quoted at 7/1.

Sajid Javid, who started the wave of resignations on Tuesday evening, is available at 10/1, while at 14/1 is Jeremy Hunt, Dominic Raab and Tom Tugendhat.

The new chancellor, Nadhim Zahawi, is 16/1 – and it’s 20/1 bar.

God help us.