Ask yourself why one SpAd is so important that an entire cabinet has been instructed to come out to bat for him, causing them unanimously to defend demonstrable and provable lies and undermine their own public health message?

Ask yourself why Cummings wields this kind of power.

Even if we park the conspiracy theories for one second, this kind of massive, univocal defence goes well beyond mere personal loyalty, or a sense that Cummings is useful on policy.

It's a clear resignation/sacking matter. The pushback indicates he's considered indispensable.

The nature of Cummings' power: its quality and extent, is the key question in British politics at present. It's the one question journalists should be doggedly pursuing. Unravel that and you unravel a great deal more, I suspect.