Letter from Nigel Orchard, Salisbury:

THE resignation of Mr Johnson as party leader, much desired by many of your correspondents, gave hope that the party we used to and wished to support was at last rejecting the dishonesty and incompetence at its heart.

There are three ways in which Mr Johnson could quickly be removed from being PM: 

1. By his honourable resignation from the role (never going to happen!)

2. Not as quick – by a general election being called (unlikely with the party several points behind Labour and no clear leader, but with neither Labour nor Lib Dems sure of the reliability of their current support)

3. By Conservative MPs refusing to become ministers with the Deputy PM painlessly taking over and duly supported for the interim period.

Unbelievably, none of these occurred and the person at last violently ejected on the grounds of massive dishonesty, incompetence, chaos, lack of any coherent plan etc. is still PM and may well do further damage to the country.

The excuse his ministers give is the need to keep the country running, but if 3, above, was adopted, that could honourably and effectively have happened.

A huge 'own goal' by the party it seems to me, and I for one will not wish to vote for it if they elect any of the current ministers as the new leader, given that they have taken this supremely illogical move, probably to promote their personal standing.

Perhaps Mr Glen or the local party chairman could explain this extraordinary outcome?