A news report last week described how growing instability means millions of Britons are building up a stash of cash, tinned food and torches at home. I don’t know about you, but I’ve always thought there is no better litmus test of how things are going for a country than whether the populace is stockpiling emergency rations.

Watching Keir Starmer stubbornly cling on to his leadership as members of his cabinet and MPs move against him, it seems only a matter of time before the PM himself is prepping. With the end moving closer, you half expect Starmer to barricade himself in Downing Street with a jumbo pack of baked beans and a carton of cigarettes. “I’m not going to shy away from the fact that I’ve got some doubters,” Starmer told reporters on Monday after what could be his 73rd major speech to “reset” his premiership in less than two years. “Some” doubters. That seems a generous summary of events at this point. At time of writing, those doubting Starmer include his former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner, foreign secretary Yvette Cooper, home secretary Shabana Mahmood, four resigned ministerial aides, Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar, union bosses, peers, and what increasingly feels like most of the........

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