Ideally, one would never pick a dud; but should one, then dumping them in 49 days is a virtue.
The Prime Minister seems to have realised that if he goes on being Mr Nice Guy he will finish last.
According to YouGov, the Party commands a plurality of voters only among the over 70s. As far as voting intention is concerned, the Conservative Party is literally dying on its feet.
Labour have found two ways of circumventing Hunt’s spending trap: first, to ignore it, and, second, to reduce pressure on the public finances through optimistic promises of economic growth.
Blair won the leadership of the Labour Party confronting left wingers, and promising to take the party to the centre ground. In contrast, Starmer won the leadership promising a hard-left agenda.
He cannot be blamed for his political colleagues’ personal affairs. But making this speech revealed serious political naivete, and the effect was catastrophic on Conservative credibility.
Even amidst dire polling for the Tories nationally, nobody seems to think a 1997-style wipeout is on the table in Scotland.
Gordon Brown entered the Treasury with low inflation, falling unemployment, steady growth, and shrinking taxes and spending. Rachel Reeves would not be so lucky – nor will the Chancellor, if we win the election.
To avoid a 1997-style wipe-out, the aim is to imitate the strategy of John Major’s remarkable victory from five years earlier.
This comedian who came out as a Conservative also explains why Labour, by espousing vengeful moral certainties, has lost the working class.
After the 1983 defeat, Labour’s electoral progress was slow. This time around the Party will face further decline without a bold change in direction.
It’s a contest between Sunderland and Newcastle. But even if Labour does badly in early results, how much will that tell us?
We say again that there is a danger of Conservative expectations getting ahead of the electoral facts.
With a woof-woof here and a moo-moo there, there is a new Tory focus on our feathered, scaled, winged and four-legged friends.