Chris Mason: What will Tory MPs do next?

Credibility is 1 of the astir prized assets successful politics.

When it drains away, dredging it backmost is difficult, often impossible.

The temper among Conservative MPs is bleak, doom-laden, fatalistic.

Most I talk to are convinced the past period and a spot means losing the adjacent predetermination is simply a adjacent certainty.

It's present astir minimising their losses, they fear.

This pessimism - justified oregon different - could assistance to signifier the science of what happens next, however they act.

In the abbreviated term, their absorption this play volition beryllium connected the show of the caller chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, who is talking to BBC Breakfast and Radio 4's Today Programme among others, and volition past walk his clip successful the Treasury gathering officials and being briefed connected the occupation ahead.

Just ideate the mugging up helium has to do.

In a fortnight, he'll beryllium the beforehand antheral for the government's economical connection that could find whether we extremity up with different caller premier curate earlier Christmas.

He is steeped successful Conservative politics, has held precocious bureau and is wide seen wrong the enactment arsenic a decent bloke.

He besides backed Rishi Sunak for the enactment and is present successful a monolithic occupation successful the Truss administration, which didn't precisely initially spell retired of its mode to prosecute those who'd backed her opponent.

Meanwhile, successful the WhatsApp groups and connected the phones, successful the corridors and the bars, the chatter among Tory MPs astir what to bash adjacent is everywhere.

For each the sound you'll person heard about, retrieve this: determination are those who say, bent connected a minute, Liz Truss indispensable beryllium fixed time. Ousting her would beryllium a ridiculous. And a "coronation", arsenic 1 described it - the enactment astatine Westminster stitching things up down their chosen 1 - would beryllium wrong, undemocratic and virtually incredible.

It seems to maine that aft the enactment conference, portion many, galore Conservative MPs were successful the doldrums astir Liz Truss, plentifulness felt it would look absurd if they were to determination against her.

Now, galore inactive judge that, but are concluding absurdity mightiness beryllium amended than the alternative.

Among those who deliberation a alteration volition go necessary, determination is wide acceptance the enactment couldn't "spend months faffing about" implicit it arsenic 1 enactment it to maine - successful different words asking enactment members each implicit the state what they think, arsenic happened successful the summer.

Which brings america backmost to that thought of a "coronation".

Some instrumentality contented with that word, due to the fact that they accidental it wouldn't beryllium that - immoderate caller person would person to bid the enactment of the parliamentary party.

But what would person to hap is the enactment being consenting to coalesce astir a azygous figure, supported by a wider squad representing the party's antithetic wings - a Conservative authorities of each the talents, if you like.

Some are sceptical that tin happen.

"You've got to retrieve that immoderate of my colleagues are truthful ambitious, adjacent inheriting particulate is thing they'd privation to do", says 1 backbencher astir the scenery Liz Truss's successor would inherit, and the trouble of persuading plentifulness of chap Conservatives to crook disconnected their aspiration gene.

So however mightiness a enactment acold from agreed unite astir a azygous candidate, and who mightiness they be?

Well, determination is Rishi Sunak, idiosyncratic other who tin telephone themselves a erstwhile chancellor, and the antheral Liz Truss bushed for the leadership.

Then determination is Penny Mordaunt, besides beaten to the occupation successful the summertime by Liz Truss.

Penny Mordaunt is present successful the cabinet.

And past there's a bloke you whitethorn conscionable remember: Boris Johnson. What does helium take to say, oregon do, successful the coming days, weeks, months? Does helium enactment quiet? Precedent suggests that's not his earthy inclination. Does helium endorse someone? Is it excessively soon for him to effort immoderate benignant of comeback? Almost certainly. But who knows.

And that's the cardinal constituent this weekend.

Liz Truss is successful office, but acold from successful control.

No 1 knows what is going to hap next, however this volition play out.