‘Why did he do it?’ how Rishi Sunak’s early election

Tory MPs are perplexed: this seemed the worst moment to go to the country. Has their leader simply had enough?

Two days after Rishi Sunak stood in Downing Street to announce an early general election, only for the heavens to open, Tory MPs in the Palace of Westminster were still scratching their heads in disbelief.

“Why did he do it? We were all told it would be the autumn and were hoping that by then we could turn things round. It is very perplexing,” said one former minister, frowning. Others said they were simply not ready to fight a campaign and that they couldn’t raise the money in time.