Travelling across Britain and talking to Jewish voters from Barnet to Bury about the Tory leadership race, I heard praise for Rishi Sunak’s policies, regret that Boris had to go, and praise for “mensch” Sajid Javid. What I didn’t expect to hear was strident support for… Jacob Rees-Mogg.

In Prestwich, Manchester, Daniel, a middle-aged Charedi man, told me he wanted the arch-Brexiteer as the next prime minister because he had “Tory values”.

I asked if it was because he was deeply religious — a committed Catholic, Rees-Mogg has six children — but Daniel explained he was drawn by the Cabinet minister’s political beliefs.

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Tory leadership hopeful Rishi Sunak

He said he had voted Conservative at the last election but might not again because the Government — Rees-Mogg aside — had lost its way. “They have been very un-Tory; they have supported the worst threats to religion. The Department for Education even said that you can’t teach pure creationism. That is against Tory values.

“I think Labour should have Labour values, and the Conservatives should have Conservative values, then you know where you are. If that’s not the case, the voting system is pointless.”

Outside a barber’s in Golders Green on Monday afternoon, a young Orthodox Jewish man, Michael, said: “I only know Rishi Sunak,” before adding that he would like Mr Rees-Mogg to stand. (The Brexit minister declined to enter the leadership and on Tuesday gave his backing to Foreign Secretary Liz Truss.)

Standing next to him, Michael’s friend Isaac, a Charedi Jew in his late twenties, jokingly slapped down the suggestion. “No, no,” he said. “[Jacob Rees-Mogg] is too similar to us. I don’t want him in charge.”

Instead, Isaac said, he wanted “real mensch” Sajid Javid.

Michael said: “I would want someone who could unify the country, so I think Sajid Javid would be good.

“The Labour Party won’t be able to trash him so much because he’s not white, therefore they’ll be automatic unity in the country.

“I think he’ll be a problem for the Labour Party. And he’ll be the first Muslim prime minister.”

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Jacob Rees-Mogg (Getty Images)

Unfortunately for his Golders Green supporters, Mr Javid dropped out of the race on Tuesday, having failed to gather enough support from Conservative MPs.

But Mr Sunak is also consistently popular on the street while remaining firmly established as a leading contender.

Inside Golders Green bagel bakery Carmelli’s, Zelpha, a shopper carrying a stack of pastry boxes, set out the former Chancellor’s stall.

“The next leader must want to cut taxes, and I’m worried that the NHS is currently underinvested in,” she told me.

“Rishi Sunak is sensible because he wants to balance the books. It has to be him: he’s simply the only one being sensible. You can’t harm public services. I’m OK with the corporation tax rise, but not the national insurance hike.”

In an attempt to present himself as the candidate of economic discipline, Mr Sunak was the only candidate to initially refuse to pledge to cut taxes, though he now says it is a matter of “when, not if” he would do so as PM.

A woman shopping with Zelpha said: “A politician has to know how to lead, they’re not just a dog following public opinion and trying to see which way the wind blows. But I don’t know [any of the candidates].”

Mr Sunak also got the backing of yarmulke-wearing chartered surveyor Michael Clifton, to whom I got talking on the street in Bury. He said: “It has to be Rishi Sunak, purely because we need a safe pair of hands now that Boris has gone. He was OK as Chancellor.”

The Conservatives would retain support in the seat whoever won, though, he added, saying: “Whatever happens nobody will pick Labour, because they are incompetent.”

Just down the road, a young man with braces told me he supports Michael Gove. Reminded that Mr Gove is not standing and has thrown his weight behind rising-star Kemi Badenoch, he said in that case he backed Mr Sunak.

“He was a good Chancellor. I agreed with his policies,” he added.

Others continued to stand behind Boris Johnson, insisting that there is no candidate capable of running the Conservative Party quite as he did.

Vaping outside a Cheetham Hill barbershop, Shloimi said: “They’re all the same to me. I just want the Conservatives to be in power.”

He is grateful the Prime Minister defeated Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour Party, he told me, and doesn’t want high taxes.

In between puffs of the electronic cigarette, he continued: “I was happy with Boris. It’s hard to say this, but the world of political correctness ruins good stuff. Obviously Boris shouldn’t have lied though.

“If you look at the overall picture, the overall result rather than PC points, then you can see that Boris did well.

“I feel the same about Trump: yes, he was a liability, but he was also a businessman, he achieved good stuff.

“The media got rid of Boris. They just care about PC, but Boris had his head screwed on.
“I don’t care if you drive a bicycle or a Bentley, it’s what you do that counts.”

In Brent, north London, Jude also gave Johnson his backing.

Asked which of the candidates he backed, he replied: “I’m not bothered; I liked Boris.

“As a guy he was brilliant, nobody’s got his charisma. Nobody’s got his guts and balls. Everyone will admit that.

“He made mistakes, but none of them can replace him.

“They’re all boring. You need someone with mojo.”