SNP will claim Labour government won't change anything. But, trust me, it will and in an exhilarating way – Brian Wilson

It’s hard to take a man seriously when he accuses his opponent of not having a plan while speaking in the pouring rain without an umbrella. We know the Tories favour trickle-down economics, but this was ridiculous.

In Rishi Sunak’s favour, he has decided not to prolong the agony. The House of Commons has virtually ground to a halt. Tory MPs are jumping ship by the score to organise their futures. Once embedded, the smell of death tends to get worse, not better.

Keir Starmer is not Tony Blair but has, to date, performed a harder task. When Blair took over, Labour was already on the way back. Starmer has excavated his party from the electoral depths.

Labour party supporters celebrate the 1997 general election victory as Tony Blair and his wife Cherie take to the stage (Picture: David Thomson/AFP via Getty Images)

The similarity with 1997 is that the Tories have been there too long, accumulated far too much baggage and destroyed their own economic plausibility. When a Prime Minister’s only known big idea is to put people on a plane to Rwanda, it’s time for the electorate to pass judgement.

As always, the Scottish campaign will be different with a fundamental choice. Regardless of views on the constitution, do people want to be in permanent, entrenched opposition to a Labour government? Or do we prefer Scottish interests to be strongly represented within it? That should not be a difficult decision.

In passing a verdict on the Scottish National Party, voters are unlikely to differentiate between reserved and devolved issues. They too have a dismal record to defend and John Swinney’s reincarnation seems to have produced a rebound rather than a bounce.

Election 2024: Check who is standing in your area with our interactive map

The tired old line about nothing changing will be trotted out endlessly but I’ll let younger voters into a secret, based on my own experience on 1997. Far from nothing changing, everything changes to a degree that is quite exhilarating.

It is not all about money which will, as in 1997, be in short supply but every decision will be made through a different prism of values and priorities. Every policy will be driven by a different mindset. The opportunity to deliver rather than talk will energise those who have waited and worked for so long.

There are pitfalls between now and July 4 but, for now, we seem set for a day of hope and liberation.

Brian Wilson is a former Labour MP and minister