The apparently unassailable Tory leader inspires meek tranquility at his party’s conference
There is normally a prince over the water at Conservative conference, the alternative attraction members flock to see at fringes. For many years it was Boris Johnson, though Jacob Rees-Mogg and Liz Truss have contested for the crown.
But now, as one cabinet minister put it, it’s all about “King Boris”. Even among his MPs who remain deeply sceptical of his motives and his competence, there is an acknowledgment that his status in the party is untouchable and so far unimpeded by a petrol crisis, soaring energy bills, empty food shelves, a welfare cut and impending tax rises.