Rishi Sunak has run out of things to do – former Cornwall MP and minister

Mr Sunak and the Tories suffered a “disastrous night”, according to Mr Eustice, after Labor won 412 seats – 291 more than the Tories.

In Cornwall, the Conservatives lost all six seats in the county, four to Labor and two to the Lib Dems.

Mr Eustice said the former prime minister had “inherited quite a difficult situation” and it appeared there was “not a lot he (Mr Sunak) would have wanted to do”.

He said: “His best chance was about a year ago at the party conference to bring some energy and life back into the government and instead what we got was a smoking ban and a name change to A- levels”.