Ordinarily, he would be by his boss's side at Prime Minister's Questions. Yet as Boris Johnson faced the most difficult day of his political career yesterday, Rishi Sunak was conspicuous by his absence while Conservative chatter turned to talk of potential successors.

       Last night, the Chancellor declined to fully endorse Mr Johnson until he had seen the results of the investigation into allegations of lockdown-breaking parties in Downing Street.

       He issued a carefully worded and lukewarm message on Twitter after eight hours of public silence. Mr Sunak's post fell short of the public support shown by Cabinet colleagues.

       Associate Editor Camilla Tominey argues that, by keeping 225 miles away from Westminster yesterday, Mr Sunak set himself apart as a first among equals.

       After Mr Johnson faced ridicule for his Commons statement, Juliet Samuel says that playing dumb was his last line of defence.

       What next, then? As a growing number of Tory MPs called for Mr Johnson to resign (view the full list here), there is speculation that he could face a confidence vote.

       A lot now rides on the outcome of the inquiry by Sue Gray, a senior civil servant, into rule-breaking parties. Gordon Rayner explains how Mr Johnson has effectively bet his premiership on her not pulling the trigger.

       Tony Diver examines the six possible scenarios that could come next. And, from jeers to laughter, read how the world's media has reacted to the Partygate affair.

       Andrew's fate lies with the balance of probabilities

       His failure to get the lawsuit against him thrown out of court marks a significant blow for the Duke of York, who now faces a civil sex abuse trial. Effectively defenestrated from the monarchy, the Queen's son now potentially faces the ignominy of a warts-and-all trial. The discovery process - when both he and his accuser, Virginia Giuffre, will be questioned by the other's lawyers under oath before the world's media - is likely to cause embarrassment not only to the royal father of two, 61, but his family. As our analysis explains, it perhaps goes some way to explaining why Prince Andrew's team are refusing to rule out a settlement with Ms Giuffre in a bid to avoid any further humiliation.

       ITV caught impersonating a police drama

       How to emulate the success of Line of Duty if you are a rival broadcaster in search of a hit? The answer, it seems, is to use all the same ingredients. ITV's latest Sunday night thriller, Trigger Point, is a police drama starring Line of Duty's Vicky McClure as a straight-talking officer and boasts Line of Duty writer Jed Mercurio as executive producer. As the broadcaster hopes to attract the same audience that flocked to the BBC show in millions, Anita Singh explains the main point of difference.

       Daily dose of Matt

       View Matt's latest cartoon as he imagines what essential supplies are for offices in Westminster.

       Also in the news: Today's other headlines

       'Lockdowns were a mistake' | Lord Frost has accused the Government of "Covid theatre", as he called on Boris Johnson to scrap mask mandates and warned that the country will look back on lockdowns as a "serious public policy mistake". Revealing that the Government's coronavirus policy was the main reason for his departure from the Cabinet, the former Brexit secretary urged ministers to rule out any prospect of a new shutdown. Listen to Lord Frost on this week’s Planet Normal podcast.

       Rugby | Prostitute held with England player over rape allegation Parting shot | Royal Navy has 'lost ambition', says outgoing Sea Lord BBC | Protester attacks statue by sculptor who abused daughters 'Communist council' | Legal threat over removal of LTN protest sign Discrimination | Equalities chief sees red over gingerism bullying Around the world: Threat by tree-planting protests

       Bedouin protests against a tree-planting scheme in the Negev region could cause Israel's fragile coalition to collapse amid a row that has seen the government split down the middle. Yesterday, 11 people were arrested during a second day of protests against the scheme, which is opposed by Bedouins who say it encroaches on their land and harms their way of life, as Middle East Correspondent James Rothwell reports.

       Comment and analysis Allister Heath | Tories will be buried if they ignore these real lessons Alan Cochrane | Threat of Scottish Tories going own way could grow Sherelle Jacobs | Write to Reply: Covid is cultivating a socialist society Matt Ridley | How I was duped by the Covid lab leak deniers Reader letters | No way back for PM seen to have flouted own rules Editor's choice Growing trend | No, you should not throw an omicron party - and this is why Sorry and costly saga | How we made a mess of smart motorways Merits of colour-blindness | Are black-and-white films the future of cinema - or a fad? Sport briefing: Djokovic drawn in Australian Open

       World tennis number one Novak Djokovic was confirmed in the Australian Open draw early today - despite uncertainty over whether the government will cancel his visa for a second time. The defending champion was drawn to play unseeded fellow Serb Miomir Kecmanovic in the first round. But immigration minister Alex Hawke could yet scupper the star's bid for a record 21st major tennis title amid a widening investigation into his quarantine breach. In football, Cristiano Ronaldo has delivered a damning verdict on the culture at Manchester United.

       Business briefing: Record deal for tech founder

       A university dropout who entered the payments sector to fund his surfing lifestyle has become one of the richest owners of a British business after his tech start-up was valued at ￡29bn. Guillaume Pousaz's company Checkout.com has surpassed Revolut as the UK's most valuable privately held technology business. Read more about his deal-making.

       Tonight's dinner

       Roast chicken thighs with red peppers, sweet potatoes, green olives and feta | If you can roast chicken thighs well, you can feed yourself, says Diana Henry. View the recipe. For more, try our Cookbook newsletter.

       Travel: Amazing places for every type of holiday

       Things are looking brighter for holidays. If you are worried that you have missed out on the buzz already, fear not. Our travel team has the low down on every kind of trip you might be thinking of booking. From world-class skiing in chalets that make the A-list swoon, to family fun in Europe and cultural excursions, here are some ideas to get you started - whether you are planning an off-beat adventure or week in the sun.

       And finally... for this morning's downtime

       The great British church divide | Faced with dwindling congregations and crippling costs, places of worship are being forced to think outside the box to attract newcomers. This fascinating feature asks: What are these buildings actually for?

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