Has dramatic election campaign actually grappled with UK’s massive problems?
But what has really stumped some of his colleagues is that he had the advantage of knowing the election was coming. Yet it’s the Conservatives who have looked ill-prepared from the off.
“The element of surprise is what you are meant to do to your enemy, not yourself,” one former cabinet minister said.
They have managed to apply some pressure to Labour, particularly on immigration, and tax, but looking at the last five weeks you might wonder, if the Conservatives can’t seem to run a smooth campaign how can they run the country?
For Labour the campaign has run more or less like clockwork. They didn’t have 4 July pencilled in as one of the possible dates for the poll but were long suspicious that the Tories would call a surprise spring election, so had spent months preparing.
There have certainly been mishaps. Back at the start, the party’s will-they-won’t-they let Diane Abbott back onto the green benches stirred up lots of party members, and looked clumsy.
Sir Keir Starmer’s backers had often claimed his willingness to cut out some on the left of the party as a badge of honour after all the angst during Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership.
But a boast of “changed Labour” didn’t include mistreating the party’s longest serving black female MP.
And while the Conservatives haven’t managed to shift the polls, they have put Labour under pressure on their plans for tax, and tackling migration.
There have also been sticky moments when Sir Keir faced questions from the public – derision, even, when he was trying to justify being part of Corbyn’s team and awkwardness when answering questions on how Plaid Cymru might find winning their two target seats at this election tough; and in Northern Ireland, my colleague Jayne McCormack points out in our is the new home on the website and app for the best analysis and expertise from our top journalists. Under a distinctive new brand, we’ll bring you fresh perspectives that challenge assumptions, and deep reporting on the biggest issues to help you make sense of a complex world. And we’ll be showcasing thought-provoking content from across BBC Sounds and iPlayer too. We’re starting small but thinking big, and we want to know what you think – you can send us your feedback by clicking on the button below.