It's inevitable Boris's bonkers-ness will cause Tories to implode

Oh to have been a fly on the wall as the two right-wing populists exchanged comeback plans over hamburgers and fries.

Such is Mr Johnson’s box-office attraction, he is never far from a headline and doesn’t even have to be in the country to cause a kerfuffle; the latest is yet again over our old friend Partygate.

Ahead of the forthcoming Covid public inquiry, Cabinet Office officials scoured the ex-PM’s official pandemic diaries - all 24 of them – and came across entries about several visits by family and friends to Downing Street and his Chequers country retreat while tight social restrictions were in force.

The officials explained they were dutybound by the Civil Service Code to refer the entries to the police and stressed no minister was party to shopping the ex-PM to HM Constabulary.

However, Boris, “steaming with anger,” smelt a very large Whitehall rat; it was claimed Oliver Dowden, Rishi Sunak’s no2, was told about the police referral before it was made. If he knew…

Mr Johnson roared that he was the victim of a “politically-motivated stitch-up”. Door-stepped at Washington’s Dulles Airport, he vented his anger.

Suggestions the ex-PM was guilty of further pandemic rule-breaking were a “load of absolute nonsense”. The Cabinet Office’s decision to refer him to the police, without first querying the diary entries with himself, was “ridiculous”.

Pointing the finger

Asked who he thought was behind the “stitch-up,” Mr Johnson fought hard to bite his tongue, saying only: “Somebody, somewhere, thinks it’s sensible to do this; I don’t.” I wonder who he could possibly mean.

He protested that all events recorded in his official diaries were “completely lawful” but we’ve been here before. During his time in Number 10, he repeatedly insisted all rules were followed. Yet the former premier ended up being fined for breaking them during a birthday bash. All told, more than 100 fines were issued across Whitehall under his watch.

But matters don’t stop there.

Baroness Hallett, the head of the Covid inquiry, is demanding the Cabinet Office hand over not only the diary entries but also WhatsApp messages between the ex-PM, Mr Sunak, the then Chancellor, and some 40 senior Whitehall figures. Crikey. Their publication would be a true popcorn moment.

Read more by Michael Settle: Blustering Boris will have to accept his time is up

Despite officials insisting many of the WhatsApp messages are “unambiguously irrelevant”, the noble baroness wants to decide for herself which ones are pertinent to the inquiry.

And not only that, she is warning Whitehall officials that they could face jail if they don’t hand over the diaries and WhatsApp messages - by Tuesday.

The Cabinet Office, however, is considering a legal challenge, which would disrupt the inquiry. It fears publishing unredacted ministerial messages could set a dangerous precedent and harm Government decision-making.

String denial

Alongside the official Covid inquiry, the Commons Privileges Committee is investigating whether or not Mr Johnson lied to Parliament about Partygate, which he strongly denies.

It has given him until Friday to explain why he believes the diary entries show he didn’t further break Covid rules at Chequers and in Downing St.

The committee, chaired by Harriet Harman, the ex-Labour deputy leader, is in the final stages of its investigation into whether the north London MP misled Parliament intentionally or recklessly over lockdown-breaking parties. Its report is expected in July.

Mr Johnson and his small band of loyal supporters believe the committee is a kangaroo court, seeking to oust the ex-PM from Parliament. The Johnsonites claim former colleagues are engaged in a “witch-hunt” against their champion and are “now willing to say anything about Boris…to discredit him”.

They are urging their man to withdraw his support for the Government with suggestions they are even willing to “retaliate” against it.

This threat prompted some sharp WhatsApp exchanges among Tory MPs as the prospect was raised of no-confidence letters being submitted against Mr Sunak.

One backbencher raged: “FFS. Who on earth is spouting this bonkers-ness? Are you determined to turn our party into a skip fire?” Another snapped: “WTF,” while a third wrote: “The nonsense, self-destroying crap has to end or our party dies.”

Read more by Michael Settle: Curse of Boris Johnson looks set to scupper Sunak’s election chances

Such is the level of Johnsonite suspicion of a Sunak-inspired plot to oust Boris from Westminster, it was suggested this week’s postponement of MPs voting on whether to suspend backbencher Margaret Ferrier from the Commons for breaking Covid rules and triggering a by-election in Rutherglen, was caused by his supporters threatening to block it.

Because, it’s said, they fear it would set a precedent should the Privileges Committee find Mr Johnson intentionally or recklessly misled Parliament over breaking Covid rules. This too might lead to a by-election, which the ex-PM could lose.

Sunak's challenge

Of course, all this self-inflicted Tory turmoil is the last thing the PM needs as he tries to put out fires on numerous fronts and seeks to turn the economy around before the 2024 election.

It may well be, after many years in government, the Tories under Mr Sunak’s leadership are fighting a losing battle with an increasing inevitability voters will call time and decide to dispense with their services.

AFTER 25 years of writing for The Herald, this will be my final article. I can only thank you for having the patience to read my humble contributions as I filed them from the front row at Westminster, which has never failed to surprise, shock, anger, entertain and, yes, occasionally, impress me. I can only hope that, from time to time, I was able to inform some readers as much as I annoyed others. Thanks for reading and cheerio.