Hester row and Anderson defection have left Sunak weaker than ever

Even centrist Tories are questioning if the PM can last until autumn after twin blows of donor scandal and rightwinger's move to Reform

On the fringes of cabinet last Tuesday ministers chatted in hushed tones about the Tory mega-donor Frank Hester's clearly racist" remarks about Diane Abbott, revealed by the Guardian the previous night, but concluded that we've got to get the money in".

It took No 10 until the end of the day to condemn his words as racist and wrong" - 24 hours after the original story broke - while Sunak himself didn't comment until prime minister's questions the next day. It went on too long," admits one cabinet minister.