Article #26714

Everything was in place for a move against the PM but for a moment Labour seemed to have forgotten the final act

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Waiting. Waiting. Waiting. The sun rose in the west. Hailstones the size of footballs battered the pavements from cloudless skies. Dogs miaowed and cats barked. Political journalists positioned outside Downing Street were in a frenzy of madness.

The BBC political editor, Chris Mason, ran down Whitehall, accosting strangers, demanding to know if they were going to resign. If not now, then when? Sky News’s Beth Rigby confronted Robert Peston of ITV live on air insisting he was mounting a leadership challenge. It was that kind of day.