In politics as in war, an ambush can be a devastatingly effective tactic. Catching your opponent off-guard and out of position has often seen underdogs overcome mightier opponents and reverse the direst of fortunes.
This seems to have been the logic – such as there was – of Rishi Sunak’s decision to call the general election for 4 July. But it increasingly looks as though it will prove a self-inflicted wound of historic proportions.
