Prime Minister @theresa_may suggests she agrees with @BrandonLewis that @BorisJohnson should apologise for his burka comments: pic.twitter.com/xqXTmrkyMK

— BBC Politics (@BBCPolitics) August 7, 2018

When you cut through the faux outrage and hand-wringing about Boris and the burka, it is obvious that this row is entirely about Brexit and the Tory leadership. The Tories criticising Boris are ultra-Remainers: Sayeeda Warsi, Anna Soubry, Heidi Allen, Jonathan Djanogly, Alistair Burt. Theresa May, in a carefully prepared knifing on the news last night, attempted to do in the one person she fears could deliver a proper Brexit. Mrs Go Home Vans, Windrush and “hostile environment” trying to take the moral high ground is rich.

Brandon Lewis, who is responsible for this story rumbling on with his calculated tweet attacking Boris yesterday, sees himself as the great Remain hope. Number 10, CCHQ and Remainer Tory MPs know Boris is the main threat to their soft Brexit. That is what this is about.