A new rule seems to govern life for the Conservatives: no matter how big the disaster, an even bigger one probably lies just around the corner. Party activists will be counting up lost council seats today, while trying to understand the debacle over the firing of the Defence Secretary. But they’ll also be bracing themselves for the European Parliament elections when Nigel Farage’s Brexit Party will force the Tories into third, perhaps even fourth place. And this would be just the first swing of his wrecking ball. If he has his eyes on the general election, the real pain may be to come.

This is what it looks like when a government implodes. There is a bewildering succession of setback and scandal, with so many ministerial resignations that it’s hard to keep track.

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Ordinarily, a Prime Minister who loses control of Parliament would have to call an election, or be replaced as leader by someone more able to govern. But the Tories can’t bring themselves to face the voters, or get rid of Theresa May. They maimed her, trying to depose her and voting down her deal, but have still left her in place. So the chaos continues, and seems to take new forms every week.