It seems that I was wrong in my assessment that Andrew Mitchell, the Tory Chief Whip would survive the furore over his use of foul and derogatory language to a police officer at the gates of Downing Street.
Mitchell has now resigned following weeks of almost constant pressure which has done nothing but harm to his party and his leader. That the man should have resigned, or been sacked, almost immediately after the original incident seems to me to be clear; whatever he did or didn't say, the potential for the matter to be used as a cudgel with which to batter the government was obvious. Had Cameron been a tougher and more decisive leader, Mitchell's head would have rolled within hours.
Now that he's gone after such a protracted fight, Labour will claim a great victory for democrarcy and common folk while the Prime Minister's authority has been dented yet again. All-in-all, a real coup for the opposition.
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