The Tories are heading for electoral evisceration

‘Whoever wins in September, the party will be stuck. Even in power it remains incapable of generating and delivering credible policies, incapable of using its resources to tackle the challenges ahead. In an uncertain world it struggles to decide what it wants to do, and struggles to implement the few ideas it has. The party has become a machine for garnering headlines and votes but is now starting to stall. Insulated by a media which also focuses on the day-to-day rigmarole of politics as soap opera, our leaders are missing the signs of short- and long-term crisis which will soon hit. They are failing to adapt, failing to plan. The sirens are ringing, the ground is coming.’

So ended this piece, a year ago today. Since then, a lot has happened, but little has changed. The Conservative party has failed to arrest its decline. To stretch the analogy, it has broken through the cloud cover and is clipping the tops of the trees.