Daily Mail leader Today, millions of his desperate supporters must want to make exactly the same gesture. Because the Prime Minister is on the verge of being dethroned. It is almost beyond belief. Less than three years ago, Boris Johnson led the Conservative Party to a landslide victory with a message of hope and optimism for One Nation. Today, his government seems determined to be swallowed up. A series of scandals and genocidal plots in recent months had already destabilized Mr Johnson and the country at the worst possible time. The Mail is urging the Tory faithful to stand by their leader in these difficult times and allow him to get on with the job of running the country. A coup failed and despite low-level resignations, the party could have regained its common cause and sense of purpose. But yesterday the dam burst… Maybe there is still a way for Boris. If he is mortally wounded, however, those vying to take his crown should remember: only under a government operating on true Tory principles – low taxes, free markets and full exploitation of Brexit – can Britain prosper. Stephen Glover in the Daily Mail six weeks ago expressed my fear in these pages that Boris’s “idiocies over Partygate are symbolic of a wider unfitness for office that can never be remedied”. That – plus his lack of a coherent political plan – remains my point. Alas – in so many ways. In different circumstances, Boris Johnson could have been a lasting success. He has so many gifts. And he is – whatever his critics say – a decent and generous man. But after all that has happened, and despite his achievements, he now appears to be a doomed prime minister. Yes, what a waste and tragedy it was. The Sun leader: One last chance Time is running out for Boris Johnson. After yesterday’s chaos, the Tory Party may now decide that time is already up. What we care about is the plight of Sun readers. Appointing the impressive Nadhim Zahawi as his chancellor, we must hope he finally got the message… Despite his majority, Boris now has so many enemies in his ranks that it seems unlikely he will be able to use it to good effect. But he must try. The Prime Minister and his new chancellor must cut duty and VAT on fuel and green levy and VAT on energy – and then start cutting other taxes to create growth and boost investment. He must cut the size of the State. Last night’s cabinet resignations make his position an unpleasant one to put it mildly. If he does not deliver for the British people in the short term, it will be completely untenable. Daily Telegraph leader Mr Johnson is nothing if not a fighter and may look to deepen and reshape his top team, although who he would want to join at the moment is anyone’s guess. Today, he faces Prime Minister’s Questions in the Commons and is then due to appear before a panel of senior MPs for a lengthy hearing involving some of his fiercest critics in his own party. Neither promises to be an easy task, should they feel the courage to continue… Lord Frost in the Daily Telegraph This country now faces formidable challenges. Addressing them requires not only the ability to talk about a vision, but the determination and steel to create a credible path toward it. It requires a leader who knows where he wants to take the country and can define how he intends to get there, in a way that is consistent with the traditional Conservative vision. I was hoping that Boris Johnson could be that person, but I realized that despite his undoubted abilities, he simply cannot be. Philip Johnstone, Daily Telegraph columnist Eventually, and dramatically, it all comes crashing down. After waiting months to see if any senior cabinet member had a backbone, we now find that there are at least two vertebrates. Perhaps more will show their backs today The Daily Express Leader This political drama could be the catalyst for a new era in Johnson’s premiership, in which he seeks to transform the country with even greater ambition. Those who still respect his campaigning genius but are put off by mistakes and blunders will now be watching the prime minister closely for evidence that he can unite the party and quickly change Britain for the better. Mr Johnson will use his legendary powers of persuasion to renew MPs’ faith. Instead of choreographing a graceful retreat, this prime minister plans to put his foot down and accelerate forward. His will to win is his greatest weapon and he will relish the challenge of defying those who think he is done.
