An incumbent Government seeking re-election really only has two pitches to the electorate. Whilst the details and policy focus may vary, these are either: “isn’t everything going wonderfully?” or “let us finish the job”.

The problem with any other option is that once you start running against the status quo, voters start asking impossible questions about why you haven’t done something about it already – especially when you have held office for 14 years. Hence Rishi Sunak’s insistence that “the plan is working”.

Winning a fifth consecutive term in office would be difficult in normal circumstances. But this election confronts the Prime Minister with an especially impossible balancing act.

Sunak was installed in No 10 following the collapse of Liz Truss’ government with the explicit objective of putting as much distance as possible between the Conservatives and the disastrous political fallout from her mini-Budget. Unfortunately for him, not only has his predecessor indicated that she will stand for........

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