Any day the Conservatives are not talking about the cost of living crisis, the pressures on the NHS and regional inequality, serves to highlight how out of touch the party is with the public.

The Tories are perennially in a state of navel gazing as elements of the party refuse to accept that former Prime Minister Boris Johnson is doing more damage to its electoral chances than good.

Rishi Sunak was right to stand his ground, refusing to go against the House of Lords Appointments Commission (Holac) Holac just because Mr Johnson didn’t get his way.

Mr Sunak said: “Boris Johnson asked me to do something that I wasn’t prepared to do because I didn’t think it was right, that was to either overrule the Holac committee or to make promises to people.”

Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson making a speech outside 10 Downing Street, London, before leaving for Balmoral for an audience with Queen Elizabeth II to formally resign as Prime Minister last year. PIC: Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire

All eyes will be on the by-election to come in Selby & Ainsty. It has been held by Nigel Adams since 2010, when the constituency was formed.

The Tories have plunged so deep into crisis that a seat that they held with a majority of 60.3 per cent in 2019, is very much at risk.

The seat and indeed the constituency it was preceded by has always been represented by an MP from the governing party. It will be a bellwether for the next General Election.

However, defeat in the Selby byelection, as well as the other byelections - including one in the former PM’s seat - won't be a referendum on the supposed ill-treatment of Mr Johnson, as much as he would like it to be portrayed as such.

Instead it will be a reflection of the Government’s failure to deliver for the people of Selby. Failures that are neatly summed up by the broken promises on Levelling Up. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer would do well to remember that as he prepares to woo voters in Selby.

Byelections will deliver a verdict on the Government’s record - The Yorkshire Post says