It was a thoroughly British affair: damp, badly staged, and half-arsed. The prime minister, Rishi Sunak, took advantage of what looked like a break in the rain to emerge from No. 10 and announce that there would be a general election on July 4.

As he spoke, the downpour began again in earnest, soaking his suit. Then some Labour activists started blasting out the theme song from Tony Blair’s victorious 1997 campaign, “Things Can Only Get Better” by D:Ream.