It looks like Rishi Sunak could have yet another miserable week on his hands.
The Prime Minister's 15 month tenure has been disastrous, marked by economic strife, Tory rebellion and desperate attempts to stoke culture wars to cover his government's slow death. It all hit a new low last week, when he refused to apologise for his comments about trans people made in front of the mother of murdered teenager Brianna Ghey.
Yet more misery could be on the horizon for Mr Sunak, who this week faces two tricky by-elections in supposed safe seats, his Rwanda asylum plan will be further scrutinised and he will find out whether the UK has slipped into recession - a far cry from his pledge to grow the economy. All in all, I think he'll be crying out for the weekend to arrive.
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On Thursday, voters will go to the polls in Wellingborough and Kingswood - two seats with significant Tory majorities. However, forecasters are predicting slight Labour victories.
If Labour does indeed win them, it would continue a recent trend seen under Sir Keir Starmer's leadership. His party overturned Tory strongholds in both Tamworth and Nadine Dorries' former seat of Mid Bedfordshire in October, claiming statement wins which provided further evidence that Labour appears to be on course for government.
Victories in Wellingborough and Kingswood would reiterate that movement. Look at what else is happening this week and it should be no real surprise that long-standing Tory voters are deserting the party.
One of Mr Sunak's key pledges made at the start of 2023 was that he would have the economy growing by the time the year was out. Thursday is set to deliver news that he failed to do so.
The expectation is that the Office for National Statistics' assessment of the end of 2023 will show that the UK economy contracted by 0.1% in the year's final quarter, following a shrink of 0.1% in the third quarter. It would place the country in a shallow recession.
High among Tory voters' demands is that the party is good with money. That's not going brilliantly for the Prime Minister.
The economy is in tatters, with people continuing to tackle an impossible cost of living crisis. Businesses, particularly the hospitality industry, have rarely had it harder. Mr Sunak and his Chancellor Jeremy Hunt may claim they're in a position to fix it, but I'm not sure many people will believe them.
It's not just the economy which will be giving the Prime Minister a headache. He may be happy to place a £1,000 bet with Piers Morgan that his cruel Rwanda plan will take off before a general election, but the policy faces more challenges.
Peers in the House of Lords began their detailed examination of the Rwanda Bill on Monday. The expectation is that the policy will face numerous changes.
Meanwhile, Parliament’s Joint Committee on Human Rights said the law is “fundamentally incompatible” with the UK’s human rights obligations and “risks untold damage” to its international reputation. In a report on Monday, MPs and peers said “hostility to human rights is at its heart and no amendments can salvage it”.
Chances are that Mr Sunak's decision to place a bet on the lives of vulnerable people won't just show him up as unkind and politically clueless, but it will probably cost him £1,000. Not that he would really notice the loss.
Continued Tory disaster does not mean all is rosy for the opposition, however. Labour faced criticism for standing by its Rochdale by-election candidate until Monday evening, after they claimed that Israel allowed Hamas to carry out its October 7 attack in order to provide grounds to invade Gaza.
Additionally, last week's announcement that Labour was scaling back its £28bn a year green investment pledge was thoroughly depressing. It was an exciting policy which suggested that the party was willing to tackle the major issue of our time head on, so to see the boldness of that approach fall by the wayside is disillusioning. We can't wait for the economy to be healthier to tackle the climate crisis.
That said, for as long as it has existed, Labour has had to battle the electorate's fear. It has to work incredibly hard to convince Middle England that it will be responsible with taxpayers' money.
The Conservative Party always uses that fear to its advantage - asking Britain whether it is willing to take a chance on Labour. More often than not, Britain's answer is no.
I think, however, the tables have turned. The Tories have presided over such a chaotic period, making life harder and more miserable for so many in this country that Labour is in a position where it can harness that fear.
Partly due its own changes under Sir Keir and partly due to Tory failure, Labour is now seen by most voters as the sensible choice. People are ready for a fresh start.
Sir Keir's party is therefore electable. It is now able to ask Britain whether it can afford this government any longer.
Labour will continue to be disciplined as it follows that tactic. It won't commit to many exciting plans - especially as the economy is in such a state - so it doesn't let this chance slip.
This week presents Labour with more opportunities. It is one which could be another major step on the journey to Downing Street.
The party will continue to be moderate (at times incredibly frustratingly so) in that pursuit of power - that's how it will convince most people to vote red. But here's hoping Labour will be bold once it has the keys to Number 10.
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