Can Rishi Sunak reignite his premiership with the bills in the King’s Speech?

The PM is running out of time to convince voters he is on their side. Adam Forrest looks at whether legislative plans offer downcast Tory MPs hope of a revival

Rishi Sunak (PA)

Rishi Sunak shows no sign of being spooked by his party’s frightful poll numbers as Halloween approaches. Conservative strategists have let it be known that they are considering holding the general election on Halloween 2024 – Thursday 31 October.

Will voters choose to end the Tory horror show? Mr Sunak still holds out hope his party can rise from the depths. “What can a country achieve in 52 weeks? Watch this space,” the PM’s latest social media clip boasted this week.

The Tory leader is running out of chances to revive his ailing premiership. Conference season, dominated by Mr Sunak’s decision to scrap HS2’s northern leg, was a missed opportunity to attract attention. The polls remain more or less static, with Labour enjoying healthy double-digit leads.