British politics has been characterised by a combination of turbulence and stagnation for a number of years. The country has had three prime ministers in two years, all from a party that has been in power since 2010. For as long as Rishi Sunak has been in Downing Street, opinion polls have shown the Conservatives trailing far enough behind Labour to suggest that Sir Keir Starmer will take over at the next general election. Yet the opposition radiates insecurity about this advantage.
There is both firmness and brittleness about the Starmer project. Cracks have reached the surface in recent weeks, first with the messy dismantling of a flagship green investment policy, then with the even messier repudiation of two parliamentary candidates embroiled in rows about antisemitism.
