Yesterday, he bent the passage of time – by giving the Commons the chance to carry out a Covid reckoning before the inquiry is up and running.
He was appearing before a virtual session of the Treasury Select Committee to answer questions about the Greensill affair.
The party has its own history of politicians with close links to business.
“We need much greater transparency as Cameron himself once called for”, says the Lib Dem leader.
“I don’t want any stone to go unturned in these investigations”, warns the Shadow Cabinet Office Minister.
Rishi Sunak “has not acted at all improperly. He flagged it”, says Eustice.
The rush towards Something Must Be Done should be paused. How about having a fresh look at ethics and values, as well as the concept of trust?
Plus: I’ve been around the political lobbying world for 30 years, but the Greensill scandal has genuinely floored me.
The Leader of the Opposition looked rejuvenated, but Johnson declined to oblige him by looking in the slightest bit worried by the Greensill affair.
For us, the key question is: what was Greensill himself doing as an adviser to the Coalition in the first place?
All three PMs did about as well as anyone could in the circumstances, and all three, so far as one can see, are doomed.
The forgotten victims tend to be the taxpayer and small businesses – most of which can barely get hold of their local councillors, let alone ministers.