Can Rishi Sunak reduce the Tories’ losses?

Every morning in Conservative Campaign Headquarters, Tory aides kickstart the day by blasting out Elvis Presley’s ‘a little less conversation’ on the speakers. The song – which includes the lyrics ‘A little more bite and a little less bark / A little less fight and a little more spark’ – has quickly become the anthem of the Tory campaign. ‘I know the lyrics off by heart,’ says one sleep deprived staffer.

Yet more than halfway into the election, there is little sign that the campaign is cutting through in the way strategists had hoped. The most optimistic one aide working on the campaign can be is ‘it has to get better in the next three weeks as it can’t bet much worse’. The polls continue to spell doom for the Tories – with an MRP Survation poll in the Sunday Times suggesting the Tories will be reduced to 72 MPs and Starmer will cruise to power with a 262-seat majority.