Who should be prime minister? Anyone but Boris Johnson | Max Hastings

It doesn't matter that the alternatives are all flawed. The UK's global reputation rests on Johnson being replaced

An elderly shires Tory enthused last month: Boris is the man for the hour! He has delivered Brexit, vaccinations, and now arms for Ukraine. He gets things done!" Having myself only voted Conservative once since 1992, in 2010, I found it tough to embrace this proposition.

Yet it is useful to be reminded how many Tory foot soldiers still root for Johnson, even passionately so. Instead of the morally debased figure that many of us recognise, they see simply a prime minister whom they still believe can keep out Labour, the only outcome about which they care a toot.

Max Hastings is a former editor of the Daily Telegraph and the Evening Standard