Ten days ago Britain had a Prime Minister who knew he would have to leave office within the year, a Chancellor desperate to be Prime Minister but fearful that the prize might be snatched from him and a ruling party riven by fatuous factionalism and increasingly influenced by the 3Ds — the disappointed, the dissidents and the deadbeats.
Today Britain is much the same. In the interim, the Prime Minister has admitted publicly what he knew privately, the Chancellor is as desperate as ever (though he may have become a little more fearful), the ruling party has rehearsed in full costume a parade of its factionalism in preparation for its annual conference and the 3Ds are as self-defeating as ever. A country moves like a curling stone on ice, despite the furious brush strokes of politicians and journalists.
There will be more flawed theories and idle theorising, more backstabbing and bitching, more expressions of loyalty and exhibitions of disloyalty, more prognostication and prevarication. In other words, we are back to business as usual in British politics. You’ve had your week of playground nonsense. Now run the country