The first rule of regicide is: “if you come for the king, you best not miss.”

Another useful axiom is that, when you are poised to act, don’t have word leak out just before a long weekend, ahead of a break week, and a full 12 days before you can rally support at the next caucus meeting.

The incipient mutiny of Liberal backbenchers sounded credible when first reported by the Toronto Star, with as many as 40 MPs said to have signed their name to a letter calling for Justin Trudeau to step down as Liberal leader.