Rishi Sunak is fighting a defensive war – and is desperately short of troops

Editorial: The number of Conservatives stepping down before the general election – a record tally that has now surpassed that of 1997 – indicates a lack of faith in the future, and a party that believes its fate has been sealed

Sinking feeling: Rishi Sunak visited the Belfast shipyard that helped build the Titanic, on day two of his election campaign (AP)

It must be doubly galling for David Frost and David Campbell Bannerman – two of the most indefatigable of the Brexit ultras – to have been placed in some doubt that they will be able to stand as official Conservative Party candidates at the general election. That’s because the Tories are, as The Independent today reports, short of almost 200 parliamentary candidates, a total that will include some which, in any “normal” year, would be reasonably safe seats and excellent prospects for any extreme Eurosceptic looking for a base from which to pursue their obsessions.

Lord Frost in particular will be disappointed, because he is, after all, the co-architect, with Boris Johnson, of the Brexit deal – albeit these days he seems keen to denounce his own handiwork.

The fate of these two wannabe parliamentarians carries meaning and significance far beyond their own ambitions. It is surely a sign that some in the Tory leadership are quietly preparing for life in opposition and the long process of rebuilding to become a serious party of government once again – and to ensure that it is not taken over by the hard right and the Farageistes, either inside the present party or presently hanging around Reform UK.