'Keir Starmer's time or not? Either way, Tory MPs must act'

The latest work by writer Sue Gray has landed, with the damp squib of a line: "...it is not possible at present to provide a meaningful report setting out and analysing the extensive factual information I have been able to gather."

Why the half job? Because of yet another error of judgment by the Met Police under its current leadership. The force "asked" for "minimal reference" to events it is investigating "to give detectives the most reliable picture of what happened at these events".

It's nonsense. Officers have been handed evidence by Sue Gray, with whom they have also been in communication. They should capable of doing their job, whatever Ms Gray says publicly.

But whatever the shortcomings of the "update", the facts are damning. 

The prime minister, Boris Johnson, cannot be trusted. This matters.

It’s easy to forget that going in front of the cameras day after day, flanked by scientists, was hitherto unknown. This was such an extreme public health scenario that the country was pinned to its screens to learn the latest directives “led by the science”.  

Those statements might have been led by the science, but the country was led by a hypocrite.  

The people defending this government now are those who fear the left will benefit. And it will, no doubt about it.  

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer gave a dignified response to the prime minister's statement to the commons.

“By routinely breaking the rules he set, the prime minister took us all for fools."

The "us all" doesn't refer to the Labour benches, it refers to everyone who followed the rules to help save lives while tragedy unfolded around them and loved ones were lost.

But this doesn’t hand Sir Keir the job, Tory MPs have the choice now of stubbornly backing the man they know is not fit for the job, or choosing someone they really believe can lead the country.