Beth Rigby, political editor

When Boris Johnson was busily courting MPs to support his leadership bid, he was clear about one thing: no-one would be offered a job. Those advising him knew that making promises he might not keep was an easy line of attack so the former London mayor deflected all overtures with a standard line: "Losing candidates offer jobs, winning ones don't".

With less than a week to go before the new prime minister is announced, Mr Johnson looks to be right about holding the winning ticket and now the only parlour game in Westminster is guessing which of his allies - old and new - will share the spoils.

This is going to be a very different sort of cabinet. If Theresa May tried to confect a 'deal' cabinet by finely balancing her top team between those who voted to leave the EU and those who wanted to remain, Mr Johnson needs a war cabinet to try to force through a no-deal Brexit if necessary.

Image: Boris Johnson will have won the crown by promising Brexit, deal or no deal

On a collision course with parliament - and many in his own party - within weeks of taking office, he can ill afford to have enemies within his own boardroom.


"They'll be more round pegs in round holes," is how one ally puts it. He is trying to complete the battle for Brexit, there is neither the time or political bandwidth to blend and balance his top team.

Those who remain opposed to a no-deal Brexit - Philip Hammond, David Lidington, David Gauke, Rory Stewart - will be heading to the backbenches: Mr Johnson has made commitment to leaving on 31 October, deal or no deal, a pre-requisite of serving in his cabinet (which explains Amber Rudd's change of heart over the weekend). Jeremy Wright, Damian Hinds, Karen Bradley, James Brokenshire, Claire Perry I suspect will all have to make way as the new prime minister rewards loyalists.

For there are plenty of allies, old and new, jostling for position. There's the old crowd from Westminster and City Hall; Ben Wallace, Jake Berry, Nigel Adams, Priti Patel, Nadhim Zahawi, Kit Malthouse, James Cleverly.

Then there are his newer lieutenants Grant Shapps and Gavin Williamson who helped him through to the final two, and others who have attached themselves to Mr Johnson's coat-tails throughout the process - Liz Truss, Matt Hancock, Dominic Raab - as well as the older grandees Michael Fallon and Iain Duncan Smith who have become important cogs in the campaign machine. "It's like the court of Versailles," joked one of the old guard this week, as he reflected on the swelling numbers of courtiers.

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I'm told that Sir Eddie Lister, Mr Johnson's former chief of staff at City Hall, and his inner team are now drawing up the list, with the prime minister-in-waiting set to get to work on it at the back end of the week.

Who gets what and goes where is the talk of Westminster. Journalists and MPs watch for who is being used by Camp Johnson as his emissaries - Ms Patel, Mr Raab, Mr Fallon, Mr Hancock, Ms Truss, and Mr Cleverly - as clues to who is destined for the top table.

One thing Mr Johnson has cleared up over the last 48 hours is that there will be a woman in a great office of state. That typically means a female home secretary, foreign secretary, or chancellor - although many Conservatives also count defence as one of the great offices.

The chatter around parliament is that Brexiteer and Hunt backer Penny Mordaunt will remain as defence secretary while Mr Hunt has made it clear that he wants to remain as foreign secretary.

Image: Sajid Javid could be the next chancellor

There are four names in the hat for chancellor: Liz Truss, Sajid Javid, Matt Hancock and Dominic Raab.

Matt Hancock, a remainer and former protege of George Osborne, has embraced Mr Johnson's view of the world with impressive zeal and is now a firm favourite within the camp. He will surely keep the health brief at the very least. "Matt is a good politician and Boris recognises that in itself is quite useful," says one figure in the Johnson camp. "He's someone who will just do what he needs." Meanwhile Ms Truss will surely be given a department - perhaps the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy - if not the keys to No 11.

I suspect in the end Mr Johnson will settle on either Sajid Javid, current Home Secretary and a former City financier, or fellow Vote Leave campaigner Dominic Raab for chancellor. And he may decide he needs a true Brexit believer in the Treasury to shake-down a department which the ERG has dubbed the "beating heart of remain" in government. "Whoever is there must work in lockstep with No 10," says one source in Team Johnson. Watch too for Jacob Rees-Mogg moving in as chief secretary to help gear Whitehall towards no deal.

Another Brexiteer who is set to stay in the Johnson cabinet is his rival Michael Gove, with Mr Johnson likely to extend the hand of friendship to the man who destroyed his chances of becoming prime minister back in 2016. Despite the bad blood, Team Johnson rate Mr Gove as an effective cabinet minister, who could be of use in a domestic facing department - perhaps transport - in need of a shake up. Brandon Lewis, party chairman, is another figure from the old regime who might hold onto a job, as could Amber Rudd, the work and pensions secretary, after disavowing her remainer colleagues and embracing Mr Johnson's no-deal policy.

Mr Johnson is in dire need of talented women to join his top table. Former international development secretary and Brexiteer Priti Patel must be assured of a cabinet return - perhaps picking up the trade brief - while former leadership contenders Andrea Leadsom and Esther McVey should also expect a call. I'm also watching to see if Tracy Crouch, the former sports minister, ends up in her old department with a bigger job.

This isn't just a cabinet designed to deliver Brexit, this is a cabinet about to fight a war within its own party and against parliament. No sooner does Mr Johnson take the crown, does the rebellion begin.

Other allies in line for jobs include Mr Johnson's long-standing parliamentary friends such as Jake Berry, who has been true to him even when he looked like a busted flush. Mr Johnson is godfather to the Berrys' young son, while Jake Berry's wife works in Mr Johnson's office.

Currently the Northern Powerhouse minister, Mr Berry could take on the communities and local government brief from James Brokenshire, with a new regional and Northern Powerhouse tilt. Watch too for Mr Johnson's other ally, security minister Ben Wallace, who could perhaps move to the Home Office should Mr Javid take the Treasury. Conor Burns, Mr Johnson's longstanding ministerial aide, and Nigel Adams will surely be given ministerial jobs too.

Another critical post in the Johnson government will be chief whip, as the current incumbent Julian Smith is moved on - MPs says he's keen to move to international development - and a fresh skin moved in. Mr Johnson might promote Mr Smith's deputy Chris Pincher.

Image: Amber Rudd could remain in the cabinet

Gavin Williamson, sacked by Mrs May over the Huawei leak, managed Mr Johnson's parliamentary campaign alongside former chairman Grant Shapps and will expect to be rewarded. A deft backroom operator, he could take up the post of Leader of the House.

There is also talk among those in the ERG that Iain Duncan Smith, the former leader and now a campaign chief for Mr Johnson, will be brought back in some capacity to help deliver Brexit.

This isn't just a cabinet designed to deliver Brexit, this is a cabinet about to fight a war within its own party and against parliament. No sooner does Mr Johnson take the crown, does the rebellion begin.

The former foreign secretary's enemies on the backbenches are already lining up to thwart him. "I just don't think Prime Minister Boris can survive that long," says one of his adversaries, who truly believes there are enough Conservative MPs prepared to bring Mr Johnson down if he presses ahead with a no-deal Brexit.

He is a new prime minister who must not only prepare for Brexit but get ready for a general election too. The former must be the absolute priority - it would be political suicide to go to the polls before Brexit has been delivered - which is why the cabinet has to be stacked with colleagues determined to get Brexit done.

Mr Johnson will have won the crown by promising Tory members he'll deliver Brexit, deal or no deal, by 31 October. But in doing so, he risks losing the country. His reign could prove very short indeed.

Sky Views is a series of comment pieces by Sky News editors and correspondents, published every morning.

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