That theory about David Cameron and Brexit people were really hoping was true is playing out

Last week, in the aftermath of the EU referendum 'Leave' vote result, David Cameron resigned and said it would be up to his successor to enact Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty.

Article 50 outlines the mechanisms of how a member state can leave the EU, and as a comment on the Guardian's website explained, leaving this on the 'to do' list made the job of his replacement, a presumed Brexiteer, a poisoned chalice:

Throughout the campaign, Cameron had repeatedly said that a vote for leave would lead to triggering Article 50 straight away. Whether implicitly or explicitly, the image was clear: he would be giving that notice under Article 50 the morning after a vote to leave. Whether that was scaremongering or not is a bit moot now but, in the midst of the sentimental nautical references of his speech yesterday, he quietly abandoned that position and handed the responsibility over to his successor.

And as the day wore on, the enormity of that step started to sink in: the markets, Sterling, Scotland, the Irish border, the Gibraltar border, the frontier at Calais, the need to continue compliance with all EU regulations for a free market, re-issuing passports, Brits abroad, EU citizens in Britain, the mountain of legislation to be torn up and rewritten ... the list grew and grew.

The referendum result is not binding. It is advisory. Parliament is not bound to commit itself in that same direction.

The Conservative party election that Cameron triggered will now have one question looming over it: will you, if elected as party leader, trigger the notice under Article 50?

Boris Johnson's announcement on Thursday that he will not run for the Tory leadership essentially confirms the theory.

If he had run, become prime minister and triggered Article 50, then he'd potentially have led the country into turmoil.

Now he has abandoned the competition to be the next Tory leader, as he's been accused of breaking the country and leaving someone else to clear up the mess.

Now the Article 50 problem falls on Cameron's successor, and in Boris' own words:

that person cannot be me.

Utterly snookered.

More:People are really, really hoping this theory about David Cameron and Brexit is true