The polling guru said the public turned on the Conservatives over partygate and Liz Truss’s mini-budget, and that Kemi Badenoch had been unable to stop support collapsing

* First Test, D5: India 471 & 364; England 465 & 373-5 * Chase is second highest in England’s Test history After five days of toil and plenty of angst about the decision to bowl first, England emerged victorious, reeling in a target of 371 runs in the final session of the match to beat India by five wickets. Headingley had witnessed another entry into its annals of absurdity, as had this impossibly spirited team led by Ben Stokes. There were a few nerves and setbacks on the final day, moments when this new-look India side summoned up the tamasha and squeezed hard. But at 6.28pm, as Jamie Smith launched Ravindra Jadeja into the stands, a run chase underpinned by Ben Duckett’s sublime 149 was completed and with it a 1-0 lead in this five-match series. Among the biggest surprises was that Jasprit Bumrah went wicketless on the final day as England – and a pitch that largely held firm to the end – successfully neutered India’s champion bowler. Smith, applied the coup de grâce to finish on 44 not out, while the typically unflappable Joe Root was out in the middle unbeaten on 53. Continue reading...