How much is a pint of milk? During an election campaign it is the question every politician must answer correctly.

For the rest of the time they can blithely go about their business in ignorance of the cost of milk, bread, or any other item picked at random by an interviewer, but in an election they need to know lest they come across as out of touch.

From the evidence of the Sunday politics shows the pint of milk query has now been joined by the “pledge poser”. Rishi Sunak has his five pledges. Last week, Keir Starmer unveiled Labour’s six “first steps”.

Given the all bells and whistles launch of Labour's pledges, it was a fair bet any spokesperson appearing on the Sunday shows would be asked to list them.

Wes Streeting, shadow health secretary, was so sure it would come up he did extra studying the night before. Yet still he flunked the test, naming five out of six.

“I might as well just go home now,” he joked on BBC1’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg.

In the event, Streeting did not get his coat. Instead he stayed to be quizzed on Labour’s promise to deliver an extra 40,000 NHS appointments a week.

Streeting said Labour was thinking “creatively” about how it could work with the private sector. As part of that, the party was announcing a partnership with Nuffield Health to deliver 4000 appointments for NHS staff through their joint pain programme.

“Those are the sorts of partnerships we want to see,” he said, adding that there would be no cost to the taxpayer.

Although health is a devolved matter, Mr Streeting said “all roads lead back to Westminster”.

“I’m convinced that a Labour government in Westminster won’t just deliver for the NHS in England. We’ll create a rising tide that lifts all ships across the UK.”

All previous blushes forgotten, Mr Streeting got into his stride, even speculating what the SNP reaction to Labour’s plans would be.

“Privately the SNP knows a Labour government in Westminster would be better for the NHS in Scotland. Jackie Baillie, Labour’s deputy leader and health spokesperson in Scotland, already has a plan to take the money that she would get from our policy of cutting waiting lists in England to do exactly the same in Scotland.”

In any event, he promised to work in partnership with health ministers across the UK.

Although the general election has yet to be called the phoney electoral war is now in full swing. Why else would the prime minister have made his debut last week on ITV1’s Loose Women?

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There he was, answering questions from the ITV panel on subjects ranging from sex education to pensions and the possible date of the election. On the latter he said it would be “good for your holidays”. In other words autumn, so not much of a surprise there. After Nicola Sturgeon’s appearance, and now Rishi Sunak’s, Loose Women is becoming a must-stop point on the circuit. Sunday shows should watch out.

Kuenssberg wanted to get in on the pledge business too, asking what promises the show should make to viewers in an election year.

“We had an initial think,” said the former BBC political editor. “Ask firm questions, of course, pursue the facts, of course, hear from you, of course, and have a bit of fun on a Sunday morning from time to time.” Viewers were asked for their suggestions.

Like every other broadcaster and media outlet the BBC is having to plan behind the scenes for a general election while not knowing the date.

In the case of the BBC there is the added complication of having to replace Huw Edwards. After  successfully anchoring the 2019 election he was thought to be a shoo-in for the next one. But his suspension, following allegations he paid someone to send him sexually explicit photos, meant the BBC had to go back to the planning board.

Edwards’ resignation in April cleared the way for a decision to be made on his replacement, but so far no name has been announced. It is worth noting, however, that Kuenssberg helmed the coverage of local and mayoral elections in England in May.

The only broadcaster to publicise its election night plans so far is Channel 4. Channel 4 News presenter Krishnan Guru-Murthy and The News Agents’ Emily Maitlis will co-host the programme. Joining them through the night will be Alastair Campbell and Rory Stewart from The Rest is Politics podcast, and there will be short films featuring some of the Gogglebox regulars.

Piers Morgan’s whereabouts on election night are yet to be disclosed, but yesterday he was livening up the panel on Kuenssberg’s show.

First came another spirited exchange between host and guest over phone hacking allegations. “There is no evidence I ever knew about phone hacking,” Morgan said several times.

After that there was a tussle, later continued on social media, between Morgan and fellow panellist Mikaela Loach, climate justice activist and author, over Israel’s response to the attack by Hamas on October 7.

Some of the closing words went to the final panellist, David Ross, co-founder of Carphone Warehouse and a major donor to the Conservatives.

In a lighter ending to the show, Mr Ross confirmed reports that he has an “Ed Stone” in his garden.

The Ed Stone, as featured in the 2015 election campaign, was the pledge card of its day, except it was eight foot tall and made of limestone. Carved into it were six promises from the then Labour leader Ed Miliband. Yes, someone really did think this was a good idea.

The plan was to put the stone in the garden at Number Ten if Mr Miliband became prime minister. When unveiled to the press, the carved slab prompted laughter and scorn. Think SNP leadership contender’s Ash Regan’s “indy thermometer” but much worse.

The whereabouts of the original Ed Stone are unknown or unconfirmed, but replicas were made, one of which was reported to have found a home in Mr Ross’s garden alongside other pieces of “contemporary art”.

So much for that piece of political history. Like the date and outcome of the general election, what might become of the current pledge cards is another great unknown.