The MPs hoping to topple Boris Johnson can hardly be described as plotters when so little organisation exists between the prime minister’s critics. They include veteran ex-ministers, lockdown critics, Brexiters, one-man mavericks and centrist softies.
The disparate nature of the letter writers spread across the party spectrum has meant little coordination about the timing of the calls for PM to go – and makes work hard for the Conservative whips who cannot keep track of rebel numbers in WhatsApp groups or committee rooms. But it also puts the rebels at a disadvantage when it comes to coordinating a vote of no confidence – with no real idea of their own numbers.
