What Boris Johnson can do to save his premiership

After the confidence vote, the ball is in the prime minister’s court says Sean O’Grady

Boris Johnson, pictured at Tuesday’s cabinet meeting, could reshuffle his ministers (AP)

Without making light of the real-world problems of hunger and poverty that disfigure our society, we are about to enter a fascinating political experiment.

We are going to discover exactly how much power a prime minister with a majority of 80 can wield without the trust of their colleagues.

Although not a homogenous group, and far from an organised faction like the European Research Group that caused so much trouble during Brexit, the present-day rebels will be awkward. They can obstruct legislation, publicly criticise him, refuse to back him when needed and refuse to defend the increasingly indefensible on the airwaves. Just as confidence is ebbing away from Boris Johnson, so is his authority.