On the face of it, Rishi Sunak’s first Prime Minister’s Questions was an assured performance.
The former chancellor was combative, confident and fluid. But it was also a session in which the new prime minister showed us how conscious he is that his political legitimacy hangs by a thread.
Because being appointed as the UK’s 57th prime minister behind closed doors by 200 or so Conservative MPs will invariably raise questions about his democratic mandate.
That it happened just seven weeks after a different prime minister – Liz Truss – was foisted on the British public by the Conservatives turns those questions into accusations of a democratic stitch-up.
Sunak under pressure over Braverman – follow live updates
Labour, the SNP and the Lib Dems all know it, which is why at PMQs they laid into Mr Sunak for being at that despatch box at all.
Sir Keir Starmer accused his new opponent – the third in four months – as someone who was “not on the side of working people” before…
