Tory MPs have a point about not removing Boris now

According to the Metropolitan police, Boris Johnson broke his own lockdown rules during the Covid crisis and, according to almost everybody else, he repeatedly lied to the Commons and the nation to cover it up. This is presumably why 57 per cent of people surveyed in one snap poll think he should resign as prime minister over partygate.

But ordinary Britons will not end Johnson’s tenure in Downing Street. Given he is refusing to resign that can only be accomplished by a minimum of 54 Conservative MPs who need to write to Graham Brady, chair of their 1922 committee, expressing a lack of confidence in Johnson as party leader. Brady would then be obliged to call a vote of confidence. Should he lose, Johnson could remain as titular leader and prime minister while his MPs whittle down their favoured candidates to replace him in a series of exhaustive ballots until they are left with just two candidates.