Rishi Sunak entered office with a tough hand, and how he plays it will determine if his party can, at best, cling on at the next election - or at the very least avoid a rout.
His task has been made harder because, facing the prospect of electoral defeat, his MPs have decided there are more important things in life than party discipline.
For some, that means focusing on the needs of their constituents to boost the chance of re-election.
The 50-strong rebellion over housing targets fits this category.
For others, especially those who are standing down, it means promoting pet projects and sticking to principles for the time they have left in office. Either way, for Sunak it means more potential rebellions underlining just how divided his party is.
Many MPs on the Tory right, in particular, are feeling jittery.
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Denne historien er fra November 29, 2022-utgaven av The Guardian.
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