Does Rishi Sunak deserve some kind of apology? Too soon for that. But don’t underestimate this prime minister, either. His party trails Labour by more than 20 points in the polls. His job approval rating is bumping along at -26. But his handling of the Northern Ireland protocol changes this week suggests a leader with more in the tank than critics have allowed. Perhaps Sunak should not be too readily dismissed as a caretaker who is seeing out time until Keir Starmer takes over.
It is, admittedly, early days for such speculation. The protocol deal has not yet been approved. The DUP is divided about how to respond, and enjoys the feeling of having Sunak’s future in its hands. A return to power-sharing at Stormont, with the DUP playing second fiddle to Sinn Féin, is a long way off. An improved UK-EU relationship that could eventually ease Britain’s trading problems is more distant still. Most voters in Britain don’t have Europe or Northern Ireland on their minds anyway.
