Michael Spencer, one of the City’s richest businessmen, flicked a card across to David Cameron, saying: “You might as well use this.”

It gave the young pretender to the Tory crown access to an executive jet in which Spencer, worth £372m according to The Sunday Times Rich List, owns a share.

Since that meeting some weeks ago Cameron, 39, has made good use of the plane, flitting to different parts of the country to press the flesh of senior Tory activists. Over the next six weeks he is likely to use it much more as he woos the party’s 300,000 grassroots members in the race to become Tory leader.

By contrast his rival, 56- year-old David Davis, will be touring the country in a helicopter provided by his backers. Old chopper or new jet? That is the choice facing the party. So far fortune is smiling on the high flyer.

Last week, as he topped the selection process among Tory MPs, Cameron bumped into Tony Blair at Westminster.

“Are you enjoying it?” asked prime minister.

“Yes, very much so,” Cameron replied, and they laughed.

A Cameron supporter who was there said later: “You sense that Blair may well see something of himself in Cameron. In the way that Thatcher sort of anointed Blair, you can see that Blair possibly sees Cameron as more a rightful heir than Gordon Brown.”

Judging by opinion polls Cameron ought to win the Tory leadership hands down. A YouGov survey last week showed that 59% of activists polled backed Cameron and only 15% Davis.

But Davis is determined to fight on — and far from everyone among the party’s rank and file is seduced by Cameron’s smooth style. Even some younger members are scornful.

“I saw Cameron on BBC Question Time the other night and he made my skin crawl a bit,” said Hayley Smith, a student celebrating Trafalgar day at Romford Conservative association on Friday night.

Robert Benham, a 25-year-old trainee barrister, had similar reservations. “All David Cameron is is Tony Blair in a blue suit. I think it will be 60-40 in Davis’s favour.”

People are still unsure what Cameron stands for. Beyond his undoubted popular appeal, what substance does he offer? What does he believe?

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