Is Boris Johnson learning to count or is he simply too weak to lead? This morning, the Prime Minister was negotiating with his backbenchers a delay to the vote on a Commons motion to refer his Partygate comments to the Privileges Committee until after the Met Police had completed its investigation and Sue Gray had published her report.
But then, a few hours later, he abruptly backed down. Tory MPs will now be given a free vote on the motion – although, it may in fact go through ‘on the nod’ i.e. without even a division.
