It is commonplace to observe that Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer share many characteristics. Both came to politics late after highly successful careers elsewhere. Both are natural technocrats – diligent, competent, intelligent – but not natural showmen or campaigners. Both are marked improvements on the candidates their respective parties offered the British public at the last general election.
The old adage runs that prime ministers can be divided by temperament into bookies or bishops and our two party leaders (notwithstanding that one is a Hindu and the other an atheist) are bishops. Neither has the risk-taking attributes of a bookie. Their instinctive caution, however, manifests itself in different ways.
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