Why did Boris pull out?

It tells us a lot about the man.

Full disclosure, I am no fan of Boris Johnson, and so was happy to see him pull out, but it’s worth pondering on a little because I think it tells us a lot about the man

At the top was surely fear of losing. I am suspicious if he had the 100 - this is not a man who you can take at his word, as his history shows. But even if he had them it was proving uphill work, so he had lost momentum, which was his key tactic, to do it on the bounce. Make it seem inevitable and then everyone falls in line. But, if someone won't back you publicly then can you really rely on them?

Secondly, it was too much like hard work. Sure, he wants to be king of the world again, but then? He is lazy, the task is Herculean, the risk of failure is high, especially losing an election in two years.

Thirdly, he lost his bottle - again. Remember him backing down in 2016? Once it didn't look easy then he ran away. He could have been leader in 2016, but it wasn't a clear run, so he bottled it. In 2019 it was a coronation.

Fourthly, protecting his narrative. However arguably, he can portray his time as PM as a success - all the nonsense about that he got the big calls right and all that - before being stabbed in the back. Now he can add a 'king over the water' chapter over how he stood down for the sake of party unity. That is nonsense of course, but hey it is only a story after all. The one thing the story can't have though is a chapter on failing, over to get to be leader or fail at the next general election.

Also note he's done another 'hasta la vista', as he did when stepping down last time. So he is keeping himself in play, and therefore in the game and most important feeding his narcissistic need to stay in the public eye. This is a man who once said with regard to being PM, "If the ball came loose from the back of the scrum, which it won't of course, it would be a great, great thing to have a crack at." He won’t shut the door if opportunity knocks.

Remember too, the only thing that matters to him is him - he doesn't give a stuff about Britain, so leading Britain in ‘cakist’ mode of having your cake and eating it is one thing, but a 'Churchillian finest hour' period is for bluster not reality when Caribbean holidays and easy money speeches are the alternative.

Meantime, spare a thought (and laugh) for all the MP saps (eg Nadhim Zahawi) who yet again let him lead them up the garden path to get their support and then pulled the rug from under them without a 2nd thought, leaving them in the words of one 'flabbergasted'. That of course is all of a piece with the nature of the man which surely to God they should know by now - will they never learn?