After a summer of policy setbacks and missed targets, and with an election looming, Rishi Sunak is likely to view the return of parliament next week with anxiety. But at least he is in a position to tell his party and his ministers a few home truths with confidence.
Three stand out. Trailing in the polls by about 20%, the Tory party urgently needs to start winning back the voters that it has lost to Labour and the Liberal Democrats. Amid the cost of living crisis, management of the economy will again be the key electoral battlefield. And, in volatile times, the party more than ever needs to speak with one voice and end its internal conflicts.
