The big point here is that it is Johnson who is the problem, and whilst to most I imagine that is a statement of the bleeding obvious, the one person who needs to see it clearly doesn't.
Javid and Sunak have taken one option, for which they get a bit of credit but not much as they clearly knew what Johnson was and stuck with him for 3 years.
Thinking about Zahawi's position this morning as I listened to him, I concluded that for a serving cabinet minister who genuinely wants to do their best for the country there is no obvious way of dealing with the situation if Johnson simply won't accept that he is so damaging. The fact is that we need a Chancellor - not to have one would immensely harmful to confidence and the economy.
Arguably Sunak (in this thought experiment) could have said to Johnson "look, you have to go. I won't work with you. But it's you who should suffer the consequences, not the country, and I shouldn't have to resign. So beggar off now, or else." Perhaps he did.
I wonder what passed between Zahawi and Johnson last night. Zahawi was just a bit too fulsome in his support for Johnson this morning, which if genuine would make Zahawi just another self-serving careerist, but I would prefer to think he has told Johnson a few home truths.
Amongst all the repetitive comments last night, Ed Vaizey made a good one, perhaps in jest. "Rishi is good leadership material - he's so rich he's incorruptible, and he's one of the few people in the cabinet who can do joined up writing".
I'm not so sure about incorruptibility - I have a feeling there are plenty of corrupt billionaires.
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