The National:

HOLD the front pages. It turns out there is something which Boris Johnson could do to make even his most voracious defender turn against him.

But what could possibly be so bad as to make even Nadine Dorries turn on her benevolent leader?

What infraction could be so beyond the pale as to make even the over-promoted beyond belief Dorries throw away her ministerial career for good?

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Could it be attending a “bring your own booze” party mid-lockdown?

Could it be lying to parliament about it, as reports have claimed Johnson did?

Could it be having the police investigate the Prime Minister while in office for breaking his own laws?

Could it be breaking manifesto pledge after manifesto pledge, leaving pensioners, nurses, and the world’s most vulnerable people to pick up the pieces?

No. Dorries has stood by Johnson through all of that.

What's more, Dorries said she would support Johnson even if police found he had been "criminally negligent".

But what she would not stand for is kicking a dog. That would be a step too far. That would be enough to see even Dorries hang up her ministerial boots.

At least that’s what the Culture Secretary told CNN.

Should that actually come to pass, it seems more likely Dorries would deny there ever was a dog.

Look at her track record. In that same CNN interview Dorries was confronted with the Sue Gray update (the full report is still due).

The host highlighted how Gray had “condemned a failure of leadership in Boris Johnson’s government”.

Dorries replied: “No, she didn’t. She didn’t express a failure of leadership in Boris Johnson’s government at all.”

Mmmmm.

To quote the Sue Gray report: “There were failures of leadership and judgment by different parts of No 10 and the Cabinet Office.”

Which way is up? Dorries will have to check with the Prime Minister before answering that.