To most people outside Westminster it’s been pretty obvious for a while.
There is no way back for Boris Johnson to return as PM.
Our disgraced former leader has made no secret of his desire to copy his hero Winston Churchill by getting a second stint in No10.
In his final words in the Commons as PM, he declared “hasta la vista, baby”.
But it has become increasingly apparent there is little appetite amongst Tory MPs - and more importantly voters - for a second act.
A poll published just yesterday by 38 Degrees showed 60% of the public don’t even think he’s fit to be an MP.
The news that police are - yet again - investigating whether he broke lockdown rules will kill off any remaining hopes he has of a comeback.
So long after the event there are doubts about whether he will actually face any punishment if he’s found to have done wrong.
But even his most diehard supporters surely must now accept if he made a return it would also bring back the never-ending scandal and controversy that dogged his days in Downing Street.
They might be right though to question why this latest development is becoming public now.
Could it be that Rishi Sunak’s allies in government are desperate to distract from his own problems with sleaze?
The timing just as scandal-prone Suella Braverman hits the headlines could not be a more welcome distraction.
* Follow Mirror Politics on Snapchat, Tiktok, Twitter and Facebook.
