London (Parliament Politics Maganize) – Lee Cain, who operated as No10 Director of Communications when Boris Johnson was PM, said the Conservatives are in for a ‘pretty heavy defeat’ as Rishi Sunak struggles
One of Boris Johnson’s former advisers has cautioned there is little Rishi Sunak can do to avoid getting kicked out of Downing Street at the election.
Lee Cain, who functioned as No10 Director of Communications, stated the Conservatives are in for a “pretty heavy defeat.” The PR guru who now operates his own firm, Charlesbye Strategy, expressed the PM had failed to improve a tricky situation.
Questioned if Mr. Sunak would lose his party’s seats in the so-called Red Wall, he described Times Radio: “I think the problem for the Tory Party is far more significant than a particular demographic. If anyone who sat in as many focus groups and such as I have over the last year or so will tell you that the country just wants change.
“I think Rishi Sunak inherited a challenging task after the sort of Liz Truss era and the end of Boris’s era. But he certainly hasn’t improved the situation. And I think, fundamentally, the Tory Party is in for a pretty heavy defeat at the next election. And at this point, I don’t think there’s a huge amount that can be done to turn the tide, so I would expect a pretty large Labour majority.”
Moreover, Mr. Cain said he believed it would be improbable that Mr Johnson could defeat Keir Starmer.
“Boris is undoubtedly a formidable campaigner, but I think if you’re looking to lead your party into an election, you first have to remain in office,” he said. “Character is destiny, I think sometimes. And I think, I mean, Boris will probably admit himself, he probably let himself down in some areas. But he’s an incredibly talented politician, a great campaigner, and I’m sure he’s still got plenty more to offer.”
On the other hand, The latest polling indicates Mr. Starmer remains more popular with the public than Mr. Sunak and persists to be seen as having a better understanding of the country’s problems. The survey by Ipsos reveals 30% of voters view the Labour leader favorably, a two-point increase since January, while his unfavorable rating remained unchanged at 41%.
Meanwhile, PM Rishi Sunak’s favourability has fallen four points to 20%, and 54% see him unfavorably. When questioned about various character traits, Sir Keir Starmer was well ahead of the Prime Minister on understanding the problems facing Britain, with 47% expressing this is the case for the leader of the Opposition and 27% saying the same for Rishi Sunak.
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Mr. Starmer also carried similar leads over the prime minister when voters were asked who was in touch with ordinary people who had a plan to improve the country and when they were questioned on leadership qualities.