Fraser Nelson Fraser Nelson

Is a path to victory opening up for Rishi Sunak?

(Credit: Getty images)

A new Rishi Sunak is being launched at Tory conference and one I saw first hand being interviewed by Laura Kuenssberg in Manchester this morning. This version is more feisty, ignores attempted interruptions and is, in general, spoiling for a fight. The Prime Minister is trying to ditch his timeshare-salesman image and is seeking to become a slayer of dragons but without (so far) any actual dragons. He’s not doing much, but his enemies react so wildly as to exaggerate what he’s actually doing.

I was critical of Sunak’s five pledges and still regard them as nonsense. But in this week’s Spectator our leading article is far more positive because we have been arguing, for years, for a sense-check to be applied to HS2 and net zero.

Today’s Sunday Telegraph is just as supportive. Sunak has broken the omertà: that you must never mention the cost or drawbacks of net zero. Or HS2.

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