Are plotters so vain they would risk catastrophe for Britain?

ThirTY-Two years ago when Margaret Thatcher was deposed as Prime Minister, this newspaper noted in this very column: ‘The great oak has been felled not by the democratic will of the people but by her own party supporters.’

we are still some way from a repeat of such incomprehensible regicide. Yet any moderate, pragmatic person observing events this week could be forgiven for thinking the Tory party has once more been seized by a collective madness.

rather than helping constituents struggling with the cost of living, a group of rebellious MPs has spent the recess seeking to wield the blade against the Prime Minister. Drunk on their own melodrama, a steady trickle have submitted no-confidence letters in a bid to topple their leader, possibly as soon as next week.

it is hard to discern what these plotters hope to achieve through such wanton self-indulgence — except one cannot ignore that many of them have had it in for Mr Johnson ever since he arrived in Downing Street.

Leave aside for a moment that a resulting leadership contest would be a huge distraction from the real issues voters care about.

The question that needs putting to the Prime Minister’s detractors is: who do they think will give their party a better chance of winning the next General Election?

Chancellor rishi Sunak’s financial affairs have dashed his hopes. Liz Truss’s stature has grown in recent months, but even the Foreign Secretary’s greatest supporters would admit she remains sorely untested.

As for Jeremy hunt, the kindest thing one could say is that the former health secretary is unlikely to set voters’ pulses racing.

Mr Johnson, by contrast, is a proven winner with a track record of getting things done. he saw Brexit through, vanquished Corbynism, won a landslide, delivered a vaccine and led the world in defence of Ukraine. These are stunning achievements.

Yes, there are obvious frustrations at his often lackadaisical style of leadership. Various self-inflicted scandals revealed a serial carelessness and a worrying lack of attention to detail.

As for those lockdown soirees in No 10, they should never have happened. The PM rightly has taken full responsibility.

But for all his faults, Mr Johnson remains a politician of rare vigour, whose verve and charisma persuaded millions who had never voted Tory before to give him a chance.

As for the nation’s current travails, it is difficult to see what any other leader could have done differently.

The fact remains that many of the pressing issues facing the country, such as rising food and energy prices, are the result of global events largely beyond the Government’s control.

Besides, it’s not as if the PM is standing by and doing nothing. Last week, the Government announced a £21 billion package to help those struggling with their bills, which turned out to be far more generous than anyone expected.

The truth is, all this divisiveness and in-fighting among Tories serves only to put Sir Keir Starmer one step closer to Downing Street. Dull and uninspiring as Starmer may seem, he cannot be underestimated.

After all, his party is a very different prospect to the one that fought the last election. No Jeremy Corbyn sticking up for our enemies. No John McDonnell making crackpot spending promises which had even loyal Labour supporters running for the hills.

And besides, an insipid leader lacking in dynamism might actually appeal to some voters after these roller-coaster past few years.

But just the thought of a socialist government with a quasi-Marxist such as Sir Keir and his deputy, Angela rayner, at the helm should alone be enough to send a chill through every Tory MP’s bones.

Worse still, such a scenario could also see Labour forge a pact with Nicola Sturgeon’s SNP which would be the end of the Union — something no self-respecting Conservative should want on their conscience.

Those Tory MPs agitating for Mr Johnson to go must stop and take a deep breath. what they are doing only serves the interests of Labour, the anti-Brexit establishment and the Tory-hating BBC.

Time is a political healer. The next election could still be two years away. The PM has every chance of winning back voters’ trust. Destabilising the country now will have only dire consequences: market turmoil, a possible general election and eventually the very real prospect of a socialist government which would lead us to ruin.

The Mail reminds these Tory rebels that Mrs Thatcher’s demise led ultimately to 13 years of Labour rule — and so asks them with all sincerity: Are you so vain and irresponsible that you would risk imposing such a catastrophe on your country?