Prime Minister Rishi Sunak flung open the black door to Downing Street for perhaps his final party of the summer season yesterday. In the back garden he has recently hosted famous actors, MPs (for a hog roast), and the President of the United States. Last but not least came the turn of the staffers who work for Conservative MPs in parliament. They rang in the summer recess with some free drinks. The PM clearly wants to keep everybody sweet. And who can blame him? Labour has just kickstarted selections for 94 Tory safe seats, currently occupied by the likes of Theresa May and Liz Truss, that it thinks it could win at the next election if there is a red landslide. There is clearly a cocky mood at the top of the party after last week’s Selby and Ainsty by-election, in which Labour overturned a 20,000 Tory majority. As the PM deals with the big issues, attention in Number 10 is also turning to election planning. What will the campaign look like? And who might he call in to help?
