The Conservative party is embroiled in yet another seismic internal argument over Brexit and lags way behind Labour in the polls. And all this as the country it has governed for almost 13 years endures the worst public sector strikes for decades and reels under double-digit inflation.
Yet despite the turmoil, senior Tory MPs – including many from the old Eurosceptic right of the party – are beginning to sense some hope under Rishi Sunak, at the very point the prime minister appears in greatest trouble, and believe a turning point could be approaching.
