Sunak’s speech was delayed by over 10 minutes. Speculation among those standing around on Downing Street was that he was waiting for the rain to clear.
A let-up in the weather was shortly followed by the prime minister’s emergence from his official residence. The heavens almost immediately opened again, drenching Sunak.
His back luck continued as protesters outside blasted the song “Things Can Only Get Better” by D-Ream, the anthem of Labour’s 1997 victorious election campaign. At this point it was virtually impossible to hear the PM.
If his tone was flat, his message was somewhat uninspiring. Big speeches on Downing Street are usually surround by a buzz of excitement. Such speeches are reserved for big moments in politics: resignations, major policy announcements, or indeed, calling elections.
This was a list of what Sunak sees as his biggest selling point: a safe pair of hands at a difficult time.
He spoke of his first major political intervention, when he implemented a furlough scheme to pay the wages of those who could not go to work during Covid lockdowns. He elaborated on how as the world becomes less secure, he is the stable hand that Britain needs.
It was a riff on a speech he made last week, in which he outlined the challenges Britain faces, from a belligerent Russia waging war on the continent to the threats posed by AI.
And he said that the opposition Labour Party doesn’t have a plan and cannot be trusted. It was all quite negative, but that might be all that Sunak and his party have left after 14 years in power.
He is trying to pitch himself as a change candidate with fresh ideas, which might be the case.
But the key question any voter will now ask ahead of this long-awaited election is: why should you be given another go?
