Our survey. Party members persist in believing that May should stand down before the next election

Here is the combined total of those believing that Theresa May should stand down as Party leader either now or before the next election – for each month since last summer’s general election.

63 per cent (March)

55 per cent (February)

71 per cent (January)

59 per cent (December).

62 per cent (November).

64 per cent (October).

65 per cent (September).

61 per cent (August).

62 per cent (July).

71 per cent (June).

The 63 per cent total for last month is pretty much in the midst of this range. Sometimes the total dips – as in February, in the wake of the Prime Minister’s strong handling of the Salisbury outrage. And sometimes it rises – as in January, in the wake of the bungled reshuffle.

In short, the total of Party members believing that she should stand down at some point before 2022 (or earlier) has never dropped below half since the general election setback, if our panel is anything to go by.

It has become so commonplace a finding that perhaps we have all become inured to it. But it is not a strong background against which to govern and conduct the EU negotiation.