Who's Top Who's Not w/c 1.07.24

This week's early Who's Top Who's Not explores the best of the best and the worst of the worst of the short campaign.

Top: Ed Davey

It’s quite rare that politicians fare well after an extended period of time in the spotlight, but Davey has charmed the nation by using the last six weeks to tick a few things off his bucket list and do leisure activities that would make even the most active envious.

We’ve seen Davey ask the public to take a “leap of faith” and vote for the Lib Dems as he goes sky diving, and he bravely spent the day at a water park to “make a splash” to campaign against climate change.

Perhaps dreaming of their own domestic holidays that are no more after the cost-of-living crisis, Davey has made an excellent show of reminding the public that the Lib Dems exist and that they are also a viable alternative to the Tories. The final polls are already showing that the Lib Dems could actually be the official opposition – which would have been an unthinkable position just a few months ago. And just imagine what stunt Davey would undertake if that actually turned out to be the case!

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Mid: Keir Starmer

We’re on the edge of unprecedented political change (even by the standards of the last few years) – so how is it that the leader of the party bringing in said political change is still being accused of being visionless and uninspiring, from those on the right and the left of the political spectrum?

No matter anyone’s views on Starmer’s Labour party, it is undeniably remarkable that he has taken the party from dismal electoral prospects to a potential landslide in just a few years. Yes, the electorate is more volatile and yes, the Conservatives have been in power for a decade and a half, and yes, public services are crumbling, but Starmer’s consistent strategy and ruthless application has led to Labour finally being on the brink of power once again.

Whilst he has done well to get to the finish line of this race, he has some unenviable battles ahead of him. On prisons, NHS waiting lists, taxes, schools or rivers, there are policy and political challenges aplenty. Keep those sleeves rolled up, Starmer, you’ve got a long road ahead.

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Not: Rishi Sunak

As we look back on the last six weeks, we can't help but examine Sunak’s masterclass in how not to run an election campaign. It’s almost hard to believe that so many blunders were made in such a short space of time. The Conservative party has spent the last decade and a half enduring its fair share of political scandals and unprecedented chaos which has resulted in their most compelling line now being “vote Conservative to challenge the Labour supermajority”. This says a lot about how far they’ve fallen and the position in which they now find themselves.

From announcing the shock election in the pouring rain, to the gambling scandal, to leaving the D-Day commemorations early – Sunak scarcely would have performed better if he had the Labour party running his campaign for him.

All hope may not be completely lost for the Conservatives, however. Final polls indicate they are still clutching onto enough seats to be the official opposition, albeit a paltry one. However, there is no conceivable situation where Sunak retains his place as party leader – so a leadership election will certainly be on the cards, most likely before we get to Conference season. At least that will give the Tories something new to bet on?