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How brutal is the life of politics. Survey that cabinet table: all members is facing exceptionally challenging portfolios devoid of the tools to do what they know is needed.

What they were handed was more disastrous than expected: they were handed explosive situations, misleading obstacles and enormous voids. Brexit is proving to be even more economically crippling than expected, now losing the exchequer £80bn a year.

The Challenges Accumulating

They suffer from bad luck: the Trump presidency arrived during their watch. What greater disaster than a corrections official releasing a refused asylum-seeker sex offender? Small boat arrivals feel unstoppable.

An ill-advised leadership contest at this moment was bound to give the Labour leader a difficult time. The eleven percent support at the Caerphilly Senedd special election might not even be their nadir.

They prepare for criticism, but they're only human. As often, Wes Streeting dares say the obvious truth: that we're experiencing "deep disillusionment in this country at the moment" and "a growing sense of despair about whether anyone is capable of turning this country round".

Public Opinion Confuses

Yet, even so, the present hostile state of voter perception is confusing and concerning. The Prime Minister is the least popular prime minister ever. Really?

He represents a respectable, earnest individual of positive aims, devoid of unwarranted superiority or ego. Contrast this with the Conservative leader, the short-lived PM, or the relaxed confidence of the former Conservative leader, each achieving minimal to warrant arrogant assurance.

Political Obstacles

However, voters claim, Starmer is worse. As the nation's leader, he lacks charisma, observers note: more seriously, he is missing policy adaptability, innovative approaches or understanding of changing opinions.

The party erred regarding reductions to elderly citizens and those with disabilities, offset by expanded benefits in different sectors. Unclear about their core constituency, the government has allowed good policies uncelebrated, from working rights to green investment, new towns and a youth guarantee.

Electoral Approach

Numerous senior advisors still think the Daily Mail-inflected right demands attention, when nearly double the number of citizens have leaned liberal since the government formed. Polling guru the polling authority cautions leadership to stop chasing Farage supporters: they're lost.

Keir Starmer is underperforming; this cannot be disputed when research shows no leader could ever return from these record-low ratings.

But in the uncharted waters of remarkable instability, history may be no guide. The leader extracted Labour from the aftermath of the previous leadership state of despair that history said couldn't be reversed in one term.

Potential Scenarios

Would anyone else do better, or are we experiencing an almost impossible to govern, never-content citizenry? Every administration may be dismissed equally quickly following election, however great its landslide victory, unless it arrives with immediate solutions offering substantial benefits for underfunded government departments and empty private purses.

Predictably, panic on the back benches will make talk of leadership change commonplace if May's elections go as badly as predicted – or, various commentators argue, earlier.

The Way Forward

Officials face a contradiction: The party's sole opportunity resides in hopelessness. Prepare for being defeated regardless, so utilize their significant numbers for four more years to pursue their inherent social democratic instinct: make radical tax reforms, generating substantial revenue.

Prepare for opposition the next election, so do everything now. Disregard popularity ratings and public consultations; enable the public to witness authentic dedication. The sole method to regain public trust is to do transparently what they believe most just and equitable.

• That respect has become essential to save the country from calamity
• The clear signal from the Welsh constituency showed the significant "stop Reform" sentiment
• A substantial majority of unusually high engagement rallying to block populist advances
• Such strategy demands mass tactical voting for the most viable opposition candidate

The Chancellor correctly describes Reform "the single greatest threat" to our way of life. As the opposition effectively combine with Reform, a political alliance of some kind looms.

The party's obligation is to take all necessary measures to prevent it. Prepare for coalition, be acceptable to like-minded parties when political labels matters less than the deep red line against an electoral threat unprecedented in modern history.

This represents a mission to drive out despair.