An awkward one for the strategists in Southwark and Westminster. Mr S has commissioned some polling and it’s official – the public, it seems, are having a tough time telling the Labour and Tory policies apart. Both Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer have recently made major speeches, respectively setting out their ‘five pledges’ and ‘five missions.’
But a survey of 1,500 voters this week by Redfield and Wilton found that by 40 per cent to 26 per cent, Britons wrongly identified the goal of securing the highest sustained economic growth in the G7 as Sunak’s goal – rather than Starmer’s. Conversely, by 42 per cent to 27 per cent those asked wrongly associated created better paid jobs and opportunities right across across the country with Starmer’s goals, when, er, it is actually one of Sunak’s. And the voters are divided as to whom they most associate with the goal of pursuing ‘net zero’ carbon emissions by 2030. Some 23 per cent associate the policy with Sunak and 21 per cent with Starmer. So much for clear blue water…
Still, the good news for both men is that there a few possible dividing lines. Voters were asked the 10 combined priorities and missions outlined by the two men. Halving inflation, new laws to stop small boats and reducing the national debt were all correctly identified as one of Sunak’s goals by more voters than not, with just 17 per cent incorrectly suggesting that the migration crisis was one of Starmer’s priorities. Just two of Sir Keir’s five missions were identified as being his, including ‘making Britain a clean energy superpower’ and ‘building an NHS fit for the future’.
‘Don’t know’ triumphed when voters were asked whether Starmer’s goals of ‘making Britain’s streets safe and ‘breaking down barriers to opportunity at every stage’ belonged to him or Sunak. More work to be done on selling the policies on the doorstep perhaps…
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