Aaron Gilmore no longer enjoys the confidence of his leader. For a backbench list MP at the very bottom end of the National Party caucus that spells curtains.
Gilmore is only deluding himself if he thinks he can keep his job.
His position is now untenable. He should, accordingly, resign from Parliament forthwith.
Gilmore's hold on his job was already shaky before yesterday's publication of text messages concerning what did or did not happen at the now-infamous dinner at Hanmer Springs' Heritage Hotel.
The contradictions between those texts and assurances from Gilmore about that evening's events are the last straw as far as John Key is concerned.