Sir Keir Starmer remains dug in as Prime Minister, having told the cabinet: ‘Bring it on if you think you’re hard enough’. Most observers have concluded that someone will indeed bring it on, and Sir Keir’s days are numbered. But there is an almighty irony in Sir Keir’s desperate pleas to stay in the job. He might be useless. He might be clueless. He might be inept. But he is also right in suggesting, as per Louis XV, après moi le deluge.

Dire as Starmer is, he is the dam holding off economic meltdown

Dire as Starmer is, he is the dam holding off economic meltdown

Liz Truss has, rightly, become a byword for chaos and for economic disaster. Every time Kemi Badenoch opens her mouth, Sir Keir references Truss as if that alone is enough to destroy any credibility the Conservative leader might claim to have. She leads the party that made Liz Truss PM!

But – here’s the irony – all the putative candidates to replace Starmer (with the possible exception of Wes Streeting) have floated policies which would make the Truss budget look like a model of good economic sense in comparison.

Let’s start with the bond market. Already, before a direct challenge has even been made to Starmer, the 30-year bond yield........

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