It is easy to forget just how brutally Michael Gove stabbed Boris Johnson in the back during the 2016 Tory leadership race. After deciding “reluctantly but firmly” that his Conservative colleague (and friend) was not capable of uniting the party or the country, the ambitious former justice secretary declared: “It had to fall to someone else... I felt it had to fall to me.” On Sunday, it fell to the Cabinet Office minister to explain the Government’s decision to order a second national lockdown, just weeks after the Prime Minister had described the idea as “the height of absurdity”. Two significant things happened during the critical Sunday morning broadcast round. First, Mr Gove suggested the month-long circuit breaker could be extended beyond December 2. Second, he was forced to deny that he was the cabinet minister who leaked details of the new coronavirus restrictions three days before No 10 intended to announce them. Having decided on Saturday that the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (or “CDL”, as Mr Gove prefers to call himself), should be the one to face the music after arguably the most chaotic 48 hours of Mr Johnson’s administration, Downing Street was then forced to censure the accomplished media performer. Contrary to his suggestion that it would be "foolish" to predict what would happen with the pandemic over the next four weeks, No 10 sources made it clear the Bill to be voted on by MPs on Wednesday will contain a ‘sunset clause’, stating December 2 as the end date “no ifs, not buts”. It came after former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith warned ministers to “defy Sage when they suck their teeth in early December and call for more time,” amid growing unrest on the Conservative backbenches over the “incompetent” handling of the latest measures. Summing up the mood among potential Tory rebels, former minister Sir Desmond Swayne said it would take a "huge amount of persuasion for me to vote for this disastrous course of action". Yet their frustration was arguably eclipsed by fury felt by Mr Johnson when news of the proposed shut down was leaked to select newspapers on Friday night. The Prime Minister was variously described as “furious”, “incandescent” and “raging” after, as one well-placed source put it, “someone got very chatty” following a crucial “quad” meeting on Friday. Since the crisis summit was only attended by a very small circle of ministers including Mr Gove, Chancellor Rishi Sunak and Health Secretary Matt Hancock, the finger of suspicion did not have far to point.