Sunak has been snared in a trap that's of his own making

" When the (likely brief) history of the Sunak administration comes to be written, people may wonder how such a smart, diligent and mostly 66 collegiate chap came to make so many blunders.

- SEAN O'GRADY

Some of the challenges he faced were obviously the unfortunate predecessors; particularly Liz Truss, who managed legacy of his to blow up the gilts market, and of course Boris Johnson, whose chaotic, dysfunctional, mendacious ways shredded his party's reputation for competence.

For context, Sunak has also had to deal with the aftermath of Brexit, the impact of the war in Ukraine on the cost of living, and the continuing impact of Covid on the NHS.

None of those can be counted as entirely of his making; but coupled with some blunders of his own, it means that his tenure will be one of the great might-have-beens of history. Of a prime minister who came to power only at the possible end of his party's tenure in power, fated not to win a mandate of his own.

In that respect he most resembles the semi-tragic figures of Gordon Brown, John Major and Jim Callaghan, all similarly overwhelmed by local and global forces beyond their control after succeeding charismatic predecessors, and suffering the ennui of the voters.

Sunak has, indeed, suffered from some spectacularly unforced errors, and none greater than the exquisitely engineered trap he has imprisoned himself in over the Hallett inquiry.

Now, after a period of some prevarication culminating in obfuscation, he simply cannot win. Even in the cramped governmental conditions of 2023, with no money to splash around and a party sullenly refusing to be led, politics is about choices. Sunak had a choice as to what to do when Baroness Hallett, chair of the Covid-19 inquiry, demanded certain documents be surrendered to her, with the threat of penalty under the criminal law.