There are two obscure rules that may decide Boris Johnson’s future

It is part of the mystique of the 1922 Committee that it operates by rules that are not published anywhere, writes John Rentoul

It is possible that the PM will look for other ways to try to head off the next attempt to depose him (Reuters)

No sooner had Sir Graham Brady announced the result of the vote of confidence in Boris Johnson than disaffected Conservative MPs were eager to explain that the rules of the contest, which say that the prime minister cannot face another confidence vote for a year, can be changed.

They may sound like bad losers, but they are right. The rules can be changed, although there is some uncertainty about exactly how it could happen. The first thing to understand is that, as a House of Commons library briefing note drily explains, “The rules for votes of no confidence are a matter for the 1922 Committee and are not available in the public domain.”

It is part of the mystique of the committee that it operates by rules that are not published anywhere. Which means that, although we know that there is a 12-month rule, we cannot be sure how it could be changed.