In a Tory leadership race dominated by Brexiteers talking up their readiness to pursue a no-deal Brexit, Jeremy Hunt has chosen to set himself apart by writing in today's paper that pursuing such an exit from the European Union would be "political suicide" that would "probably put Jeremy Corbyn in No 10 by Christmas."

The Foreign Secretary' s position has delighted staunch cabinet sceptics of a no-deal Brexit such as David Gauke, who praised him on the BBC for making a "very good point". So does that mean we can chalk up Mr Hunt as a fellow opponent of a no-deal?

If so, the Foreign Secretary deserves credit for clarifying his views, given that the way he has spoken about it over recent months would lead anyone to think it was both feasible and impossible at the same time.

Late last year, Mr Hunt was keen to show off his readiness to consider a no-deal Brexit, telling the Telegraph in December that the United Kingdom would "flourish and prosper" in such a scenario (a few months after telling ITV News it would "survive and prosper").

But by 2019, Mr Hunt had turned against a no-deal. He told the Today programme in January that it was "very unrealistic" to believe that it could happen because MPs would stop it.