“Zero seats!” was the rallying cry of disillusioned young Conservative voters in Britain at the last general election. Their demand for a total wipeout was directed squarely at one party: their own.

This self-destructive streak has simmered in the Tory party since the country voted in 2016 to leave the European Union. Since then four prime ministers have come and — often unceremoniously — gone. Political shelf lives shortened amid wrangling over Brexit, Covid lockdown scandals, and soaring migration — issues that paint a portrait of incompetence and broken promises.