Kuenssberg: Sunak can't escape Tory horrors of the past

"There are inactive shockwaves from seismic events," says a erstwhile furniture curate - "that's what we're surviving done now." Boris Johnson mightiness not person stitched prawns into the hems of his costly curtains successful No 10, but arsenic we've seen implicit the past mates of days, the leftovers from his clip successful bureau tin inactive origin a nasty stink.

We've been reminded of the aboriginal scramble implicit Covid, illustrated by erstwhile Health Secretary Matt Hancock's trove of WhatsApp chats - distressing for those who mislaid relatives, nary doubt, and profoundly embarrassing for those who pressed send.

There has besides been much grounds of however No 10 struggled to get its communicative consecutive arsenic the nationalist reeled from revelations that determination was booze and get-togethers successful Downing Street during lockdown.

And determination person been caller conversations successful the Conservative Party astir the mode of Mr Johnson's exit. Labour's determination to prosecute the Whitehall sleaze-buster, Sue Gray, is catnip for his aged allies who privation to assertion that helium was stitched up.

Reminders of the pandemic, partygate, and much howls of protestation astir however the erstwhile PM was treated. None of that was successful Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's cautiously designed script.

First off, the spectacle - for that genuinely is what it is - of the erstwhile wellness secretary's WhatsApp messages being cautiously dropped time by time successful the Telegraph newspaper. His colleagues are little than impressed.

"It's an eyeroll," says 1 Tory MP. "How overmuch of a moron was he?" asks another. "Spectacularly atrocious judgement," remarks 1 of his erstwhile furniture colleagues.

Much of the media has done what it does champion - speech feverishly to itself astir the rights and wrongs of the mode the communicative emerged aft Isabel Oakeshott, the writer who co-wrote Mr Hancock's book, passed thousands of his messages to a paper without his permission.

The messages person illustrated, successful sometimes toe-curling levels of detail, the mode successful which authorities figures pass - described arsenic "teenage with LOLS" by 1 Tory MP.

And it's fixed colour and discourse to the arguments that were raging astatine the apical of authorities successful 2020, during the archetypal fewer scrambled months of the pandemic.

There is intriguing and seemingly perplexing item successful Saturday's accusation dump, wherever Mr Hancock seems to suggest the authorities was covering up rises successful Covid cases arsenic a effect of then-Chancellor Mr Sunak's "Eat Out To Help Out" scheme. It was reported successful October 2020 - aft the strategy was up and moving - that it could person contributed to the 2nd wave.

The absorption is already asking pointedly what the authorities knew astatine the time.

Given that the strategy had Mr Sunak's signature connected it, those questions could beryllium awkward for the existent medication - adjacent though broadly, truthful far, the Telegraph's acceptable of stories has not sparked a immense reckoning implicit whether lockdown was the close happening to do.

But the effects of the pandemic are inactive being felt successful truthful galore profound ways - these stories, the lasting effect connected the economy, and the Covid enquiry that is apt to tally for many, galore months and is lone conscionable getting disconnected the ground.

In Westminster, that's the misdeed of each sins - 1 that's punishable with an MP perchance having to combat for their spot again.

Let's spell this out. If this committee concludes the erstwhile premier curate knew helium was not being straight, helium mightiness beryllium suspended arsenic an MP - and past perchance look a by-election.

The midway study from the Privileges Committee besides contains gobbets of exasperation from Mr Johnson's unit arsenic they struggled to incorporate the partygate communicative that was crashing down each astir them.

Mr Johnson utilized the work of yesterday's study to assertion it vindicated what helium has said each along, that helium ne'er held Parliament successful contempt, and that helium ne'er knowingly misled anyone.

To beryllium crystal wide - that is not, not yet, what the committee of MPs says. This study does not supply that oregon immoderate conclusions, arsenic committee members person not yet finished their work. They volition question Mr Johnson himself successful a mates of weeks.

Even immoderate Conservatives reckon the committee is apt to instrumentality a precise dim presumption of what the PM did. "If helium thinks he'll get a cleanable measure of health, helium tin deliberation again," 1 says.

Reviving memories of partygate, and the nationalist upset and outrage that came alongside it, is hardly adjuvant for the Conservatives.

Mr Sunak was ne'er painted arsenic 1 of the dastardly villains of the saga - but having besides received a good for attending Mr Johnson's day successful the Cabinet room, it's casual for the absorption to overgarment him arsenic portion of the messiness too.

One Tory MP says that "the information is that Partygate and privileges and everything - it conscionable each damages us".

And there's been an unexpected and fraught added magnitude to each this too.

The government, and Whitehall, were shocked erstwhile quality broke that civilian work enforcer, Sue Gray, was leaving authorities to enactment for the Labour Party. There was genuine shock, adjacent among immoderate of her erstwhile colleagues, that she would instrumentality that step. That's due to the fact that it is captious that civilian servants are, and are seen to be, wholly just and neutral.

Labour reckon it's a coup to person a "grown up idiosyncratic preparing for a grown up government", according to 1 source. There is nary uncertainty Ms Gray is simply a hugely experienced operator.

Over the years, I've spoken to galore radical who person worked with her and I've heard astir cosmopolitan praise. Nor is it unheard of for officials to leave, past spell connected to enactment for politicians. Both Tony Blair and David Cameron's chiefs of unit were some employed successful Whitehall earlier moving into politics.

But the mode of Ms Gray's departure, and her estimation for holding each SW1's secrets, has caused uproar. Not conscionable because, arsenic 1 Conservative MP says simply, "it seems unfair" to galore of their colleagues - but besides due to the fact that you mightiness cognize Ms Gray's name, due to the fact that she is the idiosyncratic who investigated partygate.

The information that she carried retired the Whitehall probe into what happened successful No 10, and present is leaving for opposition, gave contiguous ammunition to Mr Johnson's supporters to outcry foul, to assertion that helium was the unfortunate of immoderate benignant of stitch up aft all.

It is worthy noting that Ms Gray's study did not, successful fact, propulsion the publication astatine the erstwhile PM personally. Mr Johnson's eventual resignation came immoderate months later.

But - arsenic different Tory MP, nary instrumentality of Mr Johnson, suggests - Ms Gray's determination fuels a consciousness of conspiracy heard among immoderate constituents. "It makes Boris a victim, and fuels immoderate of the worldly astir Westminster stitch ups we spot online."

There is simply a hazard present for Labour, that they are presented arsenic portion of immoderate benignant of constitution plot. And by preparing for authorities similar this, are they, arsenic 1 erstwhile curate snipes, "measuring the bloody curtains"?

Whether it's the spat implicit the hiring of Ms Gray oregon the furore implicit his views connected the caller Northern Ireland deal, "the shadiness of Boris Johnson looms", says the MP. It "defies logic", they claim, that a "disgraced erstwhile PM" inactive occupies truthful overmuch of his party's bandwidth.

But the hangover from a erstwhile successful a procreation person does not slice fast, adjacent though determination person been not conscionable one, but 2 radical who person moved into No 10 since helium left. We've seen again this week - determination are parts of the Conservative Party inactive preoccupied with his legacy, who inactive relish an statement astir what went on.

The events of the past fewer years person been truthful intense, shaken things truthful fundamentally, that a cleanable interruption is highly hard to achieve.

Mr Sunak wants to people advancement connected Brexit, ace connected with trying to lick the occupation of tiny boats that transverse the Channel (expect a tricky statement connected that this week with the apt work of much draught laws), propulsion disconnected a creaseless gathering with the French president, and look up to the Budget successful 10 days' time.

The Brexit deal, which inactive hasn't been approved by the DUP, does amusement that his head-down, no-drama attack tin carnivore fruit.

One Tory MP says that portion "we won't get electoral credit, it does amusement he's competent, you can't spot the foundations of a house, but you person to physique them".

But the past fewer days person shown that the forces that person been astatine enactment successful caller years inactive person the powerfulness to disrupt.

One Whitehall insider jokes, "who had 'strong and stable' successful the sweepstake nether Rishi?" - with the monolithic events of the caller past, that doesn't look similar a harmless bet.