The Curious Incident of the Dog That Didn’t Bark in the Night-time. Exactly a year ago today, Rishi Sunak began the first of his many relaunches with a speech in which he announced his five pledges. Pledges that were downgraded over the course of the next few months first to promises and then to vague aspirations. Pledges that had been chosen not because they were hard, but because they weren’t. Come 2024, he would be able to boast that he wasn’t a complete failure.
Now the election year is upon us and … nada. Normally a prime minister would choose to mark the occasion with a big set-piece speech. A few Tory donors and supporters to make up the numbers and loads of hacks to report every word. A live TV feed to every news network. This month, not so much. It’s almost as if Sunak is ashamed of his record and is trying to slip under the radar. His latest relaunch – the softest of soft relaunches – shrouded in secrecy. A private performance for his own benefit.
