Rishi Sunak reacts during a visit to an apprenticeship training center at the Manufacturing Technology Center (MTC) on March 18, 2024 in Coventry. WPA Pool via Getty Images
Voters believe Rishi Sunak is “putting pressure on them” when he boasts about how well the economy is doing, according to a top pollster.
The Prime Minister and Chancellor Jeremy Hunt have repeatedly insisted that Britain's economic prospects have “turned the corner”.
This is despite the UK officially entering recession at the end of last year.
Sunak is expected to receive better news when the latest inflation figures are released tomorrow, with experts predicting a further fall.
But on Radio Four's Today program this morning, Scarlett Maguire from polling firm JL Partners said the Prime Minister was unlikely to gain any political benefit from this because, unlike him, most people are still worse off.
She said: “If anything it looks like things are getting a little worse for the Conservatives.
“There is actually a danger to Rishi Sunak as the economy improves and he gets up to the podium more and more, doing TV interviews, talking to people and saying, 'The economy is getting better, you have to stay with us',” ” You have to give us credit,” the public is even more likely to say, “Get lost.”
“One thing that he is particularly prone to, and here the fact that people see him as out of touch and too rich to really be prime minister is particularly relevant, is that people sometimes feel that he is them pressure and tell people.” to be grateful for an economy that doesn’t benefit them.
“You run the risk if you try to go into the election campaign with the message of a very positive economic situation when people don’t really feel that yet.”
Evan Davis: Nothing Sunak did managed to turn things around?
Scarlett Maguire (JL Partners): “People say Sunak is out of touch and too rich… so they feel like he's pressuring them and telling them to be grateful for an economy that doesn't benefit them feel.”#bbcpmpic.twitter. com/AtgxtyBIG5
— Haggis_UK 🇬🇧 🇪🇺 (@Haggis_UK) March 18, 2024
The comments came amid fresh evidence that the Budget earlier this month, in which the Chancellor cut National Insurance by a further 2p, did nothing to boost the Tories' popularity.
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Two more opinion polls yesterday showed support for the party falling, putting new pressure on Sunak as he faces a conspiracy by Conservative MPs to get rid of him.
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