"Friends" briefing to Lobby - failed

Co-ordinated Cabinet endorsement tweets - failed

Rose garden statement and answers - now failed

One by one his defences are failing, because the story is based on a lie and, as such, there is no sustainable basis for any defence

The lie is that, at the time, there was not actually any "reasonable excuse" for either the journey north and the trip to Barnard Castle

And the improvised pretences otherwise cannot bear the immense weight now being placed on them

This what a case collapsing in court is like

I don't want Cummings to resign, as I want him and Johnson to own their policies

And I think the law I believe he broke is a botched and badly drafted one

But the story cannot be maintained

The centre cannot hold