Analysis: Rishi Sunak plays it safe at the Covid Inquiry ahead of crucial week for leadership

Rishi Sunak has sought to keep the peace as MPs conspire to remove him.

The Prime Minister is set for another difficult week, starting at the Covid Inquiry, and his reaction has been telling.

Whereas other witnesses at the hearing have been quick to criticise colleagues and the UK Government’s handling of the pandemic, Rishi Sunak has been more measured, even defending Boris Johnson, a man whose conduct he resigned over.

We know that Mr Sunak and Mr Johnson are no longer friends, not least due to the Prime Minister’s role in ousting his old boss. But watching the hearing, there was no hint of animosity, no suggestion that in some areas, yes, things could have been better.Asked about Mr Johnson’s tendency to veer from one extreme position to the other, a point made by repeated witnesses, Mr Sunak insisted a "vigorous debate" about the direction of policy was no bad thing. He explained it would have been “far worse” to sign off on decisions without extensive discussion.Asked about the toxic atmosphere that saw women excluded from meetings, staff avoiding dealing with Downing Street and hateful language used to describe female staff, the Prime Minister insisted he wasn’t aware of it.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak giving evidence at Dorland House in London.

Mr Sunak inisted that his interactions with Number 10 and the Cabinet Office “felt fine”, and he felt “able to feed in appropriately and adequately” to Mr Johnson’s decision-making.His evidence so far has not been juicy, informative, or given insight into how decisions have been made. There’s barely a headline to be had.What’s clear however is that Mr Sunak is refusing to criticise colleagues, not least because he was the Chancellor during the pandemic. But also, perhaps, given the view towards him in his own party, is he’s simply not strong enough.

The Prime Minister goes into Tuesday facing a second reading on his new Rwanda legislation, making changes to the scheme that his own colleagues can’t say is legal.Bills at a second reading are always supported by Government MPs, who can then amend it or vote it down at a third reading. The mood among Tory MPs however is to perhaps bring it down. Given the bulk of these are on his party’s right, Mr Sunak simply can’t afford to upset them when his majority, inherited from Mr Johnson, has never looked more precarious.

It comes amid the so-called “Star Chamber”, a group of right-wing MPs publishing their view on his new legislation, which Downing Street say could not be any tougher.The MPs believe it needs “very significant amendments, some of which would potentially be outside the current title’s scope”. In short, they don’t support it as is, aren’t sure it’s possible to change it, and Mr Sunak has already claimed it can’t go further.

Given this, Mr Sunak is in no place to criticise colleagues, and must strike a tone both defensive of his record, but also those he helped remove from office.

Amid rumours of a leadership challenge and a vote he can’t afford to lose, the Prime Minister is saying it best, by saying nothing at all.