For cabinet ministers this could be a career-defining issue
Do they support their lockdown-busting boss or not?
It has now been nearly three hours since the new came out that Johnson, Sunak and Carrie are amongst those being fined by the police for not following the strict Covid lockdown rules by attending a party in May 2020.
Inevitably each will be pressed to have view because this is one they cannot duck.
My guess is that each is trying to work out how this is going to impact on Johnson’s future career. If they think his political future is doomed then their option is pretty clear. But if they think Johnson is going to survive then such a move would be politically foolish.
In one sense Sunak and his boss are helped by the Commons being in recess and this gives them more time.
An unfortunate part of the timing is that we are just a couple of days from the Easter break when traditionally it can be quite tough for those in the news business to fill their bulletins and papers.
Looming on the horizon are the local election three weeks on Thursday when it is hard to see Tory activists being so ready to work to get their vote out.