Numerous civil servants have recalled their first encounter with Labour ministers following their election victory last year. After the new rulers of Britain first walked into their departments, and following pleasantries with their officials, ministers asked them for their ideas about how to run the country, to which the confused officials responded: ‘That’s your job, minister’.

The new government was woefully underprepared, and in opposition did little in the way of thrashing out policy

It’s a tale repeated by various people in SW1, and might help to explain the surprising implosion of the Labour government so soon after their landslide victory. Eighteen months on, Labour are now polling in the teens, and Keir Starmer is the least popular prime minister in history, while Rachel Reeves

See Full Page