It took an unusually forthright intervention by Sajid Javid in a BBC Conservative leadership debate in June 2019 to force an inquiry into anti-Muslim prejudice within the party’s ranks.

The then home secretary turned to his four rivals and put them on the spot: “Shall we agree, guys? Shall we have an external investigation into Islamophobia?”

The last to agree was the frontrunner to succeed Theresa May as party leader and prime minister – Boris Johnson – who nodded and mouthed “yes”.