Boris Johnson's Christmas Quiz
Curtains for this greased eel of a politician? Initial indications suggest he's going to style it out. Responding to the fresh allegations, a Johnson spinner said "This was a virtual quiz. Downing Street staff were often required to be in the office to work on the pandemic response so those who were in the office for work may have attended virtually from their desks." Testimony accompanying the Mirror piece suggests not. Given the febrile mood in the country and the firm swing away from the Tories in the polls, it's definitely time for his would-be successors to mobilise the troops. But can he hang on?
As plenty of Tory watchers have noted, Johnson does not have much of a hinterland in the parliament. Their tolerance of him is down to his election-winning ways and very little else. His stronger support has always been in the wider party; there are genuine Johnson fans populating the local government base and dwindling membership. The question is will they cling to him and provide some sort of praetorian guard in the constituency associations against rebellious MPs? And the answer to that is doubtful. He delivered Brexit and kept them happy, but dumping on the Covid sacrifices the members have made (like everyone else) is so much a taking of the piss.
His position has deteriorated all over the place, but he'll try clinging on. There's a Churchillian fantasy to fulfil, after all. But the situation could not be more grave. The emergence of Omicron is a clear and present danger, and the government's track record is appalling. Throwing the boosters out the doors, mandating masks, encouraging homeworking all seem a bit weak sauce when the R number is creeping upwards. And with further precautions to be announced on 18th December - determined not by "the science", but by the school term - for the government's authority to be shredded now is at the worst possible time. Most people will go along with the new rules, but given the Prime Minister's example the refuseniks and non-compliars find an excuse to indulge their civil disobedience fantasies - and help spread the virus further.
There is something very simple the Tories can do to strengthen confidence in their mitigation measures, and that's by publicly demonstrating that there are consequences for egregious rule breaking by those at the top. And that's by hurling Boris Johnson out of a window at the earliest opportunity.