Keir Starmer has zeroed in on Rishi Sunak’s weak spot

The leader of the opposition is wise to echo Tony Blair’s attack on John Major, writes John Rentoul

The Tory divisions run deep, and in difficult economic times, it will be hard for Sunak to hold the line (AP)

Rishi Sunak is still at the early stage of his premiership, when the opposition is testing him, probing for his weaknesses, trying to get the measure of him. One line that won’t work, it was confirmed today, is accusing him of being rich.

Keir Starmer didn’t take that line of attack. He pursued what may turn out to be a more effective approach, of calling Sunak weak for appointing Gavin Williamson, who resigned last night.

But two Labour backbenchers tried to make an issue of the prime minister’s wealth. Karl Turner asked Sunak what he would do if someone in his “many households” became unwell. Would he get on the phone at 8am to try to get a GP appointment, go to A&E and wait 12 hours, call an ambulance which wouldn’t come, or use some of his £750m “unearned wealth” to go private and “see somebody there and then”?