The gruesome twosome

Mr Johnson and Mr Gove are back together again. Their idea is that together they can make Mrs May do what they want, essentially becoming puppet-masters of the Tory leadership.

It is rather surprising that they have kissed and made up. Mr Gove played a most Shakespearean part in Mr Johnson's failed bid for the top job. Backing him to the hilt until the very last minute... then burying his dagger to the hilt in Mr Johnson's back.

You would think that Mr Johnson would be cautious about putting his future in Mr Gove's hands once more, but then Mr Johnson is not himself in possession of any moral fibre, for him betrayal is but a broken promise that will be forgiven and forgotten. He also sees his chance of becoming PM inexorably slipping away, and this is likely to be his last chance to reposition himself as a candidate.

On the other hand, why does Mr Gove think that the duplicitous and gaffe-prone Mr Johnson is an asset? Mr Johnson's most recent blunder was a careless statement that may land a British woman five more years in an Iranian jail. He won't even admit he made a mistake. Though, fair's fair, Mr Gove is not particularly reliable on facts either.

The Brexit secretary, Mr Davis, seems unlikely to welcome them to a Brexiteer love-in. Mrs May has already taken away Mr Davis's control over the officials negotiating Brexit, deciding she can do a better job herself. Mr Barnier, the EU chief negotiator, doesn't seem to pay Mr Davis much attention, forcing Mrs May to intercede personally when things bog down. Now the gruesome twosome are ganging up against him.

Good to see how strong and stable the senior Tory leadership is leading us into the most difficult negotiations since Adam and Eve were caught scrumping.