Even as they were preparing the prime minister for today's public ordeals, members of his team told me they believed the game was up. Others were more bullish: "He's not going voluntarily," one said, "regardless of how many people tell him to." Ordinarily, Boris Johnson relishes days like today. When I worked for him, in Downing Street, he would flex his arm muscles and gurn like a wrestler in moments of strife. While I maintain he is frequently humble, sweet and kind, he thinks people who resign are, essentially, not political enough. Listening to Sajid Javid speak after PMQs was tough for a lot of people. The journey that the now-former health secretary described was one that the prime minister has put many of us through. Former Health Secretary Sajid Javid delivers a personal statement to the House of Commons. Photographer: House of Commons/PA Wire Javid talked about the sense of duty that brings you into politics and the importance of being a team player. But he also talked about having to defend "lines" that then "don't stand up" and, fundamentally, the importance of integrity and of defending the national interest. I recognised all of that.
"Not doing something is an active decision," he said, in a not-so-coded message to his former cabinet colleagues. "At some point," Javid said, "We have to conclude enough is enough." "Enough is enough" is what people inside Number 10 have messaged me today too. They use blunt language to say that even they don't believe what is coming out of Downing Street. It was uncomfortable to watch the reaction of my former boss as he was told by Javid that the government's problems start with him. But it is to be welcomed that the vast majority of those resigning have mentioned "integrity." Any new leader has a lot of work to do. |
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