First the Conservatives opposed the motion. Then they went along with it. Next they tried to amend it. Then they pulled their own amendment. In the end, and after a procedurally chaotic day at Westminster, Tory MPs stayed quiet and nodded the opposition motion through. The formal result is that the committee of privileges will examine whether Boris Johnson misled parliament about Downing Street’s lockdown parties. The informal result is that Mr Johnson has again lost control of his party and perhaps this time lost its confidence too.
Amid the confusion of the preceding 48 hours, three things stand out. First, Mr Johnson is now further than ever from shaking off partygate. Second, the supposedly improved Downing Street machine is another write-off. And third, the Labour leader, Keir Starmer, who made one of his best speeches on Thursday, has won a significant victory. For the Tories, by contrast, the success of the Labour motion provided an abject climax to an abject day.
