The Leave campaign is hoping that George Osborne will become Foreign Secretary or Chancellor is Boris Johnson's "unity Government", it is understood.

In a bid to bring the Tory party back together in the wake of the EU referendum, senior figures in Leave have started holding talks with Mr Osborne, the current Chancellor, in a bid to secure his support.

They believe his support is essential if the Conservative Party is to come back together in the wake of the divisive referendum campaign.

However, Mr Osborne is understood to be furious at Leave's behaviour in recent months and is still contemplating whether to mount a leadership bid himself.

One other option is that Mr Osborne gives his support to a “stop Boris” candidate, most likely to be Theresa May, the Home Secretary.