A secret passageway has been discovered in the Houses of Parliament which had been blocked up for 169 years.
This may or may not have been where Boris Johnson has been hiding for the last nine days.
The Prime Minister is obliged to emerge blinking into the daylight today to perform his duties at PMQs.
Johnson dislikes being held to account at the best of times and he is unlikely to be pleased that his premiership is now being tested by two events, the flooding and the coronavirus , which even a super forecaster might have struggled to foretell.
Johnson’s preference is to delegate responsibility for handling major events to the appropriate Cabinet minister.
So far the response to the floods has been left to Environment Secretary George Eustice and the coronavirus to Health Secretary Matt Hancock.
The risk for the Prime Minister is the scale of the crisis becomes so great that the public quickly comes to resent the lack of leadership from the top.
There is a thin line between delegating responsibility and absolving yourself of responsibility.
The coronavirus, in particular, has the potential to define people’s opinions on this government.
Johnson’s refusal to visit flood hit areas can just about be excused but a failure to respond adequately to a possible pandemic may never been forgiven by voters.
The conflicting travel advice suggests ministers are struggling to get a grip on the situation.
Ministers are finding it difficult to walk the fine line between the need to put in place emergency measures without causing unnecessary alarm .
The economic consequences also threaten to knock off course the Government’s tax and spending plans.
At stake is the Government’s reputation for competence, a reputation that could be permanently lost if things go awry.
Today's agenda:
8am - Environment Secretary George Eustice speech to the National Farmers Union.
9.30am - Sarah Jones MP has a Westminster Hall debate on school exclusions.
11.30am - Welsh questions in the Commons.
12pm - Boris Johnson takes Prime Minister’s questions.
12.30pm - Sajid Javid resignation statement in the Commons.
What I am reading:
William Hague in the Telegraph (£) on the hubris of Boris Johnson
2pm - Michel Barnier speech in Brussels.
