Two days after Rishi Sunak stood in Downing Street to announce an early general election, only for the heavens to open, Tory MPs 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.
It was all too frantic and at the same time too final for some to take. Tearful MPs – mostly Tory – were saying their goodbyes in the lobbies knowing they would not return. Grandees in the Commons were delivering stirring farewell speeches in the chamber after
