Are Labour really nailed on to win?

What happens when a resistible force collides with a moveable object? 

Such is the nature of the imminent battle between Keir Starmer and Rishi Sunak for the keys to No. 10. Given the underwhelming appeal of both men and the extent of public disillusionment with politics in general, it is hardly likely to be a vintage clash.

But with expectations for him and his party set so low, just by taking the initiative Sunak may cause some voters to reassess him. It now seems clear that a 4 July election has been the plan for quite some time and the PM’s repeated undertakings that polling day would come ‘in the second half of the year’, while technically being met under this timetable, was designed to lay a false trail towards autumn.

If the aim was to catch opposition parties on the hop, there is every sign that this has been achieved. Labour may have been saying it was ready for an election whenever it came, but the truth is that the party high-ups were preparing for a November contest.