And the threat to the NHS seems distant enough to experiment with the relaxation of the two metre rule.
There is no evidence from the poll of polls that the Dominic Cummings affair speeded up what has been a steady Tory decline since mid-April.
“We should all respect due process and fair hearing, rather than tolerate criminal acts and mob rule.”
If the Prime Minister doesn’t have confidence in his most senior Ministers, it’s impossible to see how anyone else can.
“From here, I’m afraid, the journey is all too obvious. The only way to prevent this is to reverse the re-racialisation of our society.”
Building on May’s legacy will mean grinding, attritional work – which the hard left and extremist parties are neither interested in nor capable of doing.
We have a dominating centre and compliant Ministers. The Education Secretary was given his marching orders, and told to like them or lump them.
It’s striking that three Tory ethnic minority Ministers – first Badenoch; then Patel, and now Sunak – have sounded clearer-headed than some of their colleagues.
The Government’s plans for divorce law reform are the lesser of two evils. But it needs to think more and act decisively to help couples who stay married.
Most people don’t want water cannon or wielded batons. But they want to see the police in charge – to be taking a stand, not taking the knee.
A limited suspension is one thing, lasting change would be another. And so often, nothing is so permanent as the temporary.
As a rule, the Conservatives are unclear about the politics of equality and identity. But there’s at least one Minister who isn’t.
Some of its problems can be fixed. Others won’t be. And one perhaps can’t be: namely, that this Parliament seems to be incapable of saying No.
With the NHS apparently out of danger, and daily cases in decline, the fear factor is clearly falling – at least, if one’s measure is how people are behaving.
The drop roughly parallels the polling fall in confidence among the general public – though a seven out of ten rating is healthy enough.