It’s only a matter of time for Boris

Potty-mouth PM to go

LONDON: When Boris Johnson was asked by an ally if he would quit in the wake of the resignation of finance minister Rishi Sunak and health secretary Sajid Javid, his response was emphatic: “F..k that.”

The embattled Prime Minister told aides on Tuesday night that it was “business as usual” and he was determined to fight on. His chances of winning that fight, however, have dramatically reduced.

Although there is a widespread view in the Tory party that Mr Johnson cannot recover, that does not mean he cannot carry on. Unless the Prime Minister can be persuaded to change his mind, or the 1922 Committee changes its rules, the country faces a period in which governing will come second to the increasingly desperate fight for survival.

Even ministers loyal to Mr Johnson were despairing on Tuesday night as his damaged authority over his party appeared to be crumbling.

With a series of resignations and new MPs going public with calls for Mr Johnson to quit, there are real questions about whether he can command the parliamentary authority he needs to govern.

The Chris Pincher affair has already shown how his Downing Street operation is struggling to prevent the government agenda from being swamped by a succession of unforced errors. And however determined he may be to cling on, Mr Johnson may find he is simply unable to make his MPs follow his orders.

History suggests that the resignation of two senior ministers with personal attacks on the Prime Minister is fatal. Mr Johnson, 58, should know that: his resignation in July 2018 as foreign secretary over Brexit marked the beginning of the end of Theresa May’s time in Downing Street. Yet it was nine agonising months before Ms May finally quit.

If this is the beginning of the end, the final act could be anywhere between days and months. Mr Johnson’s situation is in some ways more serious than Ms May’s as the criticism of departing ministers focuses on his personal integrity rather than policy. But he has made it abundantly clear he will have to be forced out of Downing Street.

That could happen if Sir Graham Brady, head of the 1922 Committee, visits Mr Johnson to tell him the game is up. It was this visit from the fabled “men in grey suits” that finally persuaded Ms May to quit. But everything about Mr Johnson suggests his reply to Sir Graham would be as robust as his response to Mr Javid and

Mr Sunak’s resignations.