The Conservative party is in a state of paralysis. Boris Johnson wants to move on from Partygate, but every time he tries, the topic comes back to bite him – and it will keep doing so given there are now three inquiries into it. The bulk of Tory MPs don’t want to publicly back their leader on the issue, but they also currently don’t want to go so far as to oust him and trigger a leadership contest.
The stalemate is causing frustration on both sides. “They should either shit or get off the pot,” a supporter of the prime minister puts it bluntly. “We’re in no man’s land,” says a Tory MP.
