Bojo’s big strop show

No tears for this clown as the Tory circus moves on... but some fans are as loyal as Bay City Rollers faithful

Iused to work with this woman years ago who was into the Bay City Rollers. Like, really into them. She would take time off to follow them round the country, bought whatever stuff they brought out, etc, etc. Tragic, really. She’d been there in the heyday and was never really able to let it go.

I thought of her this week as Boris Johnson appeared to fight for his political future in front of the privileges committee. Not that he reminded me of her – but the sad group of loyalists who came to watch their hero did.

Once a powerful figure, he was wriggling on a hook. Massive in his day, as were the BCR. An 80-seat majority, fighting off all-comers, Brexit. Mr

Johnson’s pomp is the equivalent of the golden years of the

BCR, playing New York, millions of album sales, even a TV show.

The groupies – Jacob ReesMogg, Michael Fabricant, a couple of others – gathered in the committee room to watch Mr Johnson. They even, albeit quietly, cheered their hero as he came in.

I don’t know if you watched it? Probably not. It was worth a look, though. This was supposed to be Mr Johnson’s natural turf. He’s made a career out of wriggling out of mistakes he’s made, after all.

But this was just sad. An unravelling; the snake-oil bottle finally empty. That’s it now, everyone reckons. One backbencher I spoke to, previously loyal, said no matter the outcome – and the committee seems minded to come down harshly – that’s it for Mr Johnson.

At the very worst (for him), suspension means a by-election and he loses his seat. At the best, his shot at becoming leader again is blown. No one is buying the act any more. The gloss has come off him and the circus that is the Tory party has moved on, leaving behind a sad and angry clown. Still his cheerleaders cheer – Nadine Dorries chief. Desperate. It was a kangaroo court, she says, and the outcome will be “disgraceful”, “possibly unlawful”.

Let it go. Mr Johnson is a busted flush. Even as a veteran of a thousand telling-offs, he looked shifty and unable to contain his temper as it finally dawned on him the gig is up. Even then, delusional superfans continued their hero worship.

Mr Rees-Mogg thinks Mr Johnson has won in the “court of public opinion” and was so cool under pressure it was as if he had “modelled himself on the cucumber” – which at the very least is the wrong vegetable.

Meanwhile, the Bay City Rollers are appearing at Bognor Regis Butlin’s in September.

The way things are looking for Mr Johnson, they might need to save some room on the bill.

The snake-oil bottle is finally empty. The gloss has come off him