This shouldn’t be a story. The reporter asked a provocative question, McGrath replied - and the reporter quoted him out of context. All that McGrath needed to do was explain and apologise. And the story would’ve died.

Instead, BoJo and co. decided he must go. And so made the story. McGrath’s comments were made to seem serious, and so the story shot to the front pages. The issue went from being a barely reported misdemeanour, confined to the inside of the Guardian, to an issue so serious that a Mayoral aide had to resign. Tactical mistake: I think so.

But it’s more than that: Boris now appears a complete hypocrite, especially to his own side. Quoth an unusually critical Iain Dale:

I’m told that McGrath honourably fell on his sword. But I am not sure he was given any choice in the matter. All Boris has done is attempt to appease people who are quite frankly not capable of being appeased. What he should have done is stand by the man who has stood by him through thick and thin over the last eight months. Instead, Boris has hung James McGrath out to dry - apparently either with the connivance of or at the behest of the Party leadership - in the most despicable and and cowardly manner possible.

And this the man whose blog practically reads as a series of watered-down CCHQ press releases. He must be furious to break through the programming. Other Tories certainly are:

Public figures can get away with misusing expenses and terrible policy failures but an unfortunate phrase on racial issues causes something to go wrong in the wiring of politicians and the media. ConservativeHome celebrates multiracial Britain but we also worry about what should be called an industry that is determined to see racism when there is nothing but an unfortunate remark. Is there a gutsy politician willing to face up to the hysteria that this industry generates? Without such guts there’ll only be more false charges of racism.

Boris was himself accused of racism at the start of his Mayoral campaign. Out of context his remarks appeared unfortunate. In the context of his full career they rightly didn’t worry fair-minded Londoners. Boris should have had the backbone to stand by such a loyal aide. There should have been no pressure to resign and no acceptance of a resignation.

So, he’s angered his own supporters by crumbling to the political correctness they so despise. Clever. Maybe for his next trick, he’ll decide to keep bendy-buses, see how that goes down with the voters.

(Oh. Wait…)

And there’s still more! BoJo has set a dangerous precedent for himself here. He defended McGrath from charges of racism, arguing that he was misquoted; as in, “James’s remark was taken out of context and distorted.” An explicit defence based in the same rhetoric he used to defend himself from charges of racism in the campaign. And yet McGrath’s gone. Inconsistency much?

The precedent is clear here. (gah, horrible sentence.) You misspeak, you go - whether that’s actually justified by the comments or not. Given Boris’ record for gaffes, that’s a very risky direction to head in.

BoJo shot himself in the foot by letting McGrath go in the first place. He’s since inserted the gory stump in his mouth and began gnawing when he released a statement defending then dumping McGrath. Perhaps he likes the taste of his own political blood?