Conway to stand down

So, ultimately he did retire to his study with a bottle of scotch and a revolver after all. This story has been pretty disastrous for the Conservatives, but there is one glimmer of light. Conway has gone, and gone quickly, not just from a ministerial position but from politics altogether. Cameron acted sufficiently promptly in removing the whip - those people who are now accusing him of 'dithering' ought to remember that taking 24 hours to decide whether or not to take a course of action is rather different from taking weeks to do so.

It will, therefore, act as a pretty strong precedent for other politicians who are caught out on financial misconduct. This alone might explain the relative lack of grand-standing over the Conway affair - politicians of all stripes are painfully aware of the beams in their own eyes.