Westminster is yet again the focal point of the national conversation, as it seemingly has been for the last seven years. We’ve had Brexit turmoil, two general elections, a global pandemic and now a third prime minister ousted.
Throughout, I’ve been lucky enough to have a front row seat, filing news, analysis and the occasional column from the House of Commons press gallery for news agencies and newspapers. Whether political plotting and party mutinies, late night votes or dramatic Downing Street resignations — it has been a ride to rival any TV box set. And Boris Johnson's resignation feels rather like the finale of this particular season.
There have been so many jaw-dropping moments over the last eight months, whether Wallpapergate, Partygate, the Owen Paterson affair, the defection of Bury South MP Christian Wakeford to Labour or the dramatic Tory by-election losses in Wakefield and Devon. But throughout, there was never a feeling that this was the moment to end Johnson's career - even if many Tory MPs privately wanted to see it. With the Prime Minister's success in the confidence vote, his place looked assured - so much so, he was even talking about serving a third term.
Read More: Boris Johnson resigns LIVE: He agrees to stand down as Prime Minister
But ground began to move fast with the explosive revelations over the behaviour of now former deputy chief whip Chris Pincher and what Boris Johnson knew about it. Anger in Westminster was palpable, on the terraces and in the tearooms MPs were openly sharing their anger with reporters and colleagues. Momentum against Johnson was building and the Downing Street press operation was struggling to keep control. At the back end of last week and into this week, the daily briefing with the Prime Minister’s spokesman became a gladiatorial affair, with awkward questions raining down every morning and afternoon on Mr Johnson’s aides.
With the shock resignations of Rishi Sunak and Sajid Javid on Tuesday night, many seasoned Westminster watchers were saying the game was up - even if the Prime Minister didn't yet accept his fate. Indeed, being in the Commons on Wednesday for PMQs it was obvious - the air had been sucked out of the room. Johnson tried his usual flourishes and attack lines, but there was stony silence form the Tory MPs sat behind - indeed even as Johnson went through the motions, resignation letters continued to stream out on social media. By the time the Prime Minister was giving evidence at the liaison committee that afternoon, the stream had turned into a flood - and there was a delegation of Tories waiting in Number 10 to tell Johnson the game was up.
It took another 24 hours for him to realise, but Johnson understood the game was over - observing in his resignation speech "as we’ve seen at Westminster, the herd is powerful and when the herd moves, it moves and my friends in politics no one is remotely indispensable."
As another Prime Minister departs, Westminster's attention will now turn once again to the Tory Party and a summer long leadership contest.
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