Italy, of course, has practically had a new leader each year since World War II. Which, let's be honest, was not this. And that's because, understandably, people want what they voted for. The Tories are fast catching up.

But even assuming by some miracle that they could agree on someone, it wouldn't help in the wider country.

Finch is pictured with his wife Elli Johnston Craig Young told Sydney's Downing Centre District Court he did not believe Finch had any sexual in children but had a drug problem and said he was willing to help him recover from his addiction.

In a speech on Wednesday, BOJ board member Seiji Adachi said it was premature to shift away from the central bank's ultra-loose monetary policy with Japan's economy facing mounting risks from slowing global growth and volatile financial markets.

"When looking at the global financial and economic environment surrounding Japan, downside risks are building up rapidly," Adachi said in a speech delivered to business leaders in Toyama, central Japan.

The remarks by BOJ and government policymakers underscore the dilemma Japan faces, as the central bank's ultra-low rates aimed at supporting a weak economy help accelerate an unwelcome yen fall that inflates households' living costs.

TOKYO, Oct 19 (Reuters) - Bank of Japan policymakers on Wednesday stressed the need to keep monetary policy ultra-loose to shield the economy from heightening overseas risks, ruling out the possibility of raising interest rates to slow the yen's slump to 32-year lows.

The latest figures suggest growth in Covid hospitalisations in London - seen as a leading indicator of what may happen in the rest of the country - slowed in the run-up to New Year, although holiday reporting glitches could be affecting the total.

He has also pledged to compile another spending package to cushion the economic blow from the rising costs of living, a sign fiscal policy will play a major role in combatting fresh downside risks to the recovery.

The Conservatives have simply run out of road. And much of that time is going to be dominated by soaring living costs and struggling markets, even before you've factored in a potential resurgence of Covid, more threats from Vladimir Putin and whatever other curve balls the universe has in store for us in these turbulent times. The next election is only a couple of years or so away.

But having him take over as Chancellor is a bit like ordering rump steak on your Ocado shop and finding they've substituted it with a tofu burger. I know Jeremy a bit, and despite what people say, he's not a bad egg.

And that's because the Tory party, in its current incarnation, isn't really a single party at all, but an uneasy alliance of ideological fiefdoms. Everyone — from Rishi Sunak to Penny Mordaunt to Ben Wallace — represents a red line to someone. That's just pie in the sky.

The government, which holds jurisdiction over currency policy, spent 2.8 trillion yen ($19 billion) in dollar-selling, yen-buying intervention last month when authorities acted in the markets to prop up the yen for the first time since 1998.

Not because I think he's the best man for the job (or because my ex-husband has told me to: strange as it may seem, I do occasionally have opinions of my own).

It's because he's the one who got us into this mess in the first place by pushing out Boris. If it were up to me, I'd choose Rishi Sunak.

They know that it's more of an exercise in damage limitation, of salvaging what they can from the wreckage and regrouping and rebuilding while the next lot inevitably smash up the metaphorical playground after they win power.

However, Mr Johnson insisted that going below the current seven days could have the 'perverse' effect of speeding the spread, as three times more people would still be infectious when they return to workplaces.

The party is so far out of whack, so far gone in terms of credibility, he or she is doomed to failure.

And if that's the case, then why bother? If you've already written off the car, why go to the effort of changing a tyre? So really, it doesn't matter who replaces Truss.

Asked about the idea of easing isolation rules - already reduced from 10 days as long as people are negative on lateral flow tests on day six and seven - Mr Johnson said: 'We'll continue to look at the infectivity periods, but the key thing is we don't want to be releasing people back into the workplace when they're still infectious.

The New Year return to work is in danger of descending into a shambles with the public sector warned to brace for a worst-case scenario of a quarter of staff - around 1.4million people - being off work.

It comes as the PM today revealed that the government is looking at redeploying personnel after the public sector was warned to brace for a worst-case scenario of a quarter of staff - around 1.4million people - being off work.

Besides, Sunak was the runner-up in the original contest that gave us Truss. He lost the final membership vote, of course — but he won the MPs' ballot by 137 to 113.

And since the one thing on which everyone seems to agree is that nobody wants another contest, it stands to reason he has a strong claim.