Dear Matt,

Your energy and resilience has long amazed us all. You have batted on the trickiest of wickets with indefatigability. You have worked all hours and taken all the brickbats thrown at you. You could try and tough this out, the question is why?

It is not the affair, truth be told we sort of suspected that you might be at it. There were too many clues and why wouldn’t you follow in the footsteps of your mentor, George. No that’s not, at least in this government, a resigning matter. Though the appearance of hiring your mistress is problematic, even if as you say she was not your mistress at the point she went on the payroll.

The problem with “just buggering on” is that next week you will have zero credibility, zero authority and zero public confidence. You made the rules, right down to enunciating that hugging was a police matter. You simply can’t expect people to have confidence in any edicts or pronouncements you make next week. Sure, you can tough it out with Kay Burley or Piers Morgan, the public will nevertheless not buy it. In the Commons you will provide easy target practice for pot shots from the opposition benches. Resignation in itself won’t redeem you, it is however a necessary step on the path to redemption.

On the backbenches you can get clarity, get to know colleagues and take some time to try to make amends to your family. The rest will do you some good. It might even give you some space to prepare for the Covid Inquiry. In no time at all you will be revitalised and back into the fray.

Regards,

PS