There is a mismatch between Government announcements and Commons realities. It cannot attempt reforms without risking them being amended out of recognition.
Conservative values underpin what it can achieve – whether in apprenticeships, manufacturing exports, jobs or contributions to good causes.
In some ways, it’s too early to tell. But the question is worth probing because it matters.
Record employment is the jewel in the crown of this Government’s five-year term.
As the tenth anniversary of the 2010 election approaches, the author says that Labour’s own austerity record and plans were almost as tough as the Coalition’s.