It started with more a whimper than a bang. Rishi Sunak’s surprise election announcement was marred by pouring rain and a protester blasting out the Labour 1997 campaign classic Things Can Only Get Better. But since then things have not exactly got any better for Sunak.
From Steve Baker going on holiday to Lucy Allan endorsing a Reform candidate, his MPs have not all fallen into line, while Michael Gove surprised many by joining the large number of Tory MPs saying they will not stand. The Guardian’s senior political correspondent Peter Walker says that while not disastrous, it is certainly far from the smooth, slick start Sunak would have wanted to his campaign.
Hannah Moore finds out how the Conservatives’ two recent policy announcements – bringing in national service and offering a tax break to pensioners – have been received. And she asks: after a rocky first week, can Sunak steady his ship?
Photograph: Aaron Chown/PA
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