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What hell is the life of politics. Look around that cabinet table: every minister is facing extremely difficult portfolios lacking the resources to do what they understand is needed.

What they were handed was more disastrous than feared: they were left with traps, misleading obstacles and massive deficits. Brexit is showing itself as even more economically crippling than expected, resulting in the loss of the exchequer £80bn a year.

The Difficulties Building

They suffer from unfortunate circumstances: the Trump presidency coincided with their watch. What worse mishap than a jail staff member freeing a denied migrant sex offender? Small boat arrivals feel relentless.

An unfortunate internal party vote currently was bound to give the Prime Minister a setback. The minimal electoral backing at the Welsh assembly by-election might not even be their nadir.

They expect brickbats, but they're only human. Typically, the Health Secretary boldly states what everyone observes: 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".

Popular Sentiment Confuses

Yet, even so, the present hostile state of voter perception is puzzling and worrying. Keir Starmer is the most unpopular prime minister on record. Really?

He is a respectable, earnest individual of good intentions, lacking excessive pride or vanity. Measure this against Boris Johnson, Liz Truss, or the breezy presumption of the ex-Prime Minister, all with so little to explain their overconfidence.

Governing Difficulties

Yet, the public argues, the current PM is poorer. In his leadership role, he's short on personal magnetism, observers note: more seriously, he doesn't possess governing flexibility, ingenuity or instinct for where the wind blows.

The government mishandled regarding reductions to pensioners and disabled people, unbalanced by generosity elsewhere. Unclear about their core constituency, ministers have permitted positive initiatives unpromoted, from working rights to sustainable development, new towns and training opportunities for the next generation.

Political Strategy

An excessive number of close advisers still think the Daily Mail-inflected right requires courting, when nearly double the number of citizens have shifted progressive since the government formed. Survey specialist the renowned analyst advises the party to stop chasing Farage supporters: they've gone.

Keir Starmer is underperforming; this cannot be disputed when pollsters suggest no individual might recover from such unprecedented lows.

However, within unprecedented territory of such extreme volatility, conventional wisdom could prove irrelevant. The leader extracted Labour from a post-Jeremy Corbyn condition of hopelessness that political analysts claimed couldn't be turned around in one term.

Potential Scenarios

Could another leader perform more effectively, or are we experiencing an almost impossible to govern, never-content citizenry? All ruling parties may be opposed with similar speed once in power, however great its landslide victory, unless it arrives in a gilded chariot bearing untold bounty for struggling state institutions and cash-strapped families.

Predictably, concern within the parliamentary party will make discussion about replacing the leader commonplace if the spring local elections go according to negative projections – or, various commentators argue, earlier.

Future Directions

Here's ministers' paradox: The government's best chance lies in despair. Accept they might be overwhelmed anyway, so utilize their significant numbers for the full parliament to implement their genuine left-leaning values: implement substantial tax changes, increasing government income.

Expect to lose future elections, so take decisive action currently. Disregard popularity ratings and public consultations; let voters see authentic dedication. The exclusive approach to restore some respect is to implement openly what they think most correct and reasonable.

• This credibility has become vital to protect the country from calamity
• The clear signal from the Welsh constituency showed the strong "stop Reform" sentiment
• A substantial majority of an exceptional turnout rallying to block populist advances
• That requires coordinated ballot choices for the strongest progressive option

The Finance Minister rightly calls Reform "the single greatest threat" to national identity. As the opposition virtually merge with Reform, an electoral pact of some kind threatens.

The party's obligation is to do whatever it takes to prevent it. Prepare for coalition, stay suitable for like-minded parties when party affiliations matters less than the deep red line against an electoral threat unseen in contemporary politics.

That's a purpose to defeat discouragement.