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How brutal is the life of politics. Look around that government frontbench: every minister is confronted with near impossible portfolios devoid of the tools to do what they know is needed.

What they were handed was even more ruinous than anticipated: they were left with traps, misleading obstacles and gaping holes. Brexit is showing itself as more financially damaging than foreseen, now losing the exchequer £80bn a year.

The Difficulties Building

They are blighted by unfortunate circumstances: the Trump presidency arrived during their watch. What more unfortunate incident than a jail staff member setting free a rejected refugee sex offender? Channel migrants feel relentless.

A poorly timed internal party vote currently was destined to give the Labour leader a difficult time. The minimal electoral backing at the Caerphilly Senedd by-election might not even be their nadir.

They expect criticism, but they are human. Typically, Wes Streeting courageously expresses the obvious truth: 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 Puzzles

Yet, even so, the current vitriolic state of voter perception is confusing and concerning. The Labour leader is the least popular prime minister on record. Really?

He represents a honorable, committed person of noble purposes, lacking excessive pride or ego. Compare that with the former Prime Minister, the short-lived PM, or the breezy presumption of the former Conservative leader, each achieving minimal to explain their overconfidence.

Governing Difficulties

Yet, the public argues, the Labour leader is more ineffective. As the nation's leader, he lacks personal magnetism, observers note: more seriously, he lacks political agility, innovative approaches or understanding of changing opinions.

Labour blundered regarding reductions to pensioners and disabled people, offset by generosity elsewhere. Unsure which demographic to target, the party has left positive initiatives uncelebrated, including employment protections to environmental funding, new towns and employment assurances for young people.

Governing Philosophy

Too many key consultants continue to believe right-wing constituencies requires courting, when significantly more electors have moved leftwards since Labour took office. Polling guru the renowned analyst warns them to abandon courting Farage supporters: they've gone.

Labour's leader is underperforming; this cannot be disputed when pollsters suggest no individual might ever return from these unplumbed depths.

But in unprecedented territory of significant fluctuation, past experience might not apply. The leader extracted Labour from the period following Corbyn slough of despond that political analysts claimed couldn't be reversed in four years.

Future Possibilities

Might a different politician do better, or has society entered a near-ungovernable, never-content citizenry? Every administration may be opposed with similar speed once in power, however great its landslide victory, only if it appears bearing quick fixes providing significant resources for struggling state institutions and financially strained households.

Expectedly, panic on the back benches will make talk of leadership change widespread if the spring local elections go as badly as predicted – or, various commentators argue, sooner.

Potential Solutions

This represents the government's dilemma: The government's best chance lies in despair. Assume they will be defeated regardless, so employ their parliamentary advantage for four more years to follow their natural social democratic instinct: introduce significant fiscal adjustments, increasing government income.

Anticipate defeat future elections, so implement all policies immediately. Disregard popularity ratings and public consultations; let voters see sincerity in their purpose. The exclusive approach to rebuild credibility is to do transparently what they think most correct and reasonable.

• Public trust has become vital to protect the country from calamity
• The bright light from the recent election showed the significant "stop Reform" movement
• Over 60% of an exceptional turnout mobilizing to block populist advances
• Such strategy demands coordinated ballot choices for the most viable opposition candidate

The Finance Minister correctly describes Reform "the most significant danger" to our way of life. As the opposition largely align with Reform, an electoral pact of certain type threatens.

Labour's duty is to implement required actions to prevent it. Anticipate alliances, be acceptable to progressive partners when the name of the party matters less than the fundamental boundary against an electoral threat unprecedented in modern history.

That's a purpose to drive out despair.