Damning polling for Sunak
This week Rishi Sunak is giving evidence to the Covid-19 inquiry and the polling is largely grim for him. The Times report that
Twice as many people now think Rishi Sunak handled the pandemic badly than well, a poll has revealed before the prime minister’s crucial day of evidence to the Covid inquiry.
More than half — 52 per cent — of those asked in a YouGov survey for the Times said Sunak’s flagship Eat Out to Help Out scheme was a “bad idea,” with just a third — 32 per cent — saying it was a good idea….
…More than a third — 35 per cent — said Sunak had given the “about the right level” of financial support, with 23 per cent saying it was too costly and 24 per cent saying he did not go far enough and more support should have been given. A majority — 52 per cent — of Conservative voters backed Sunak’s handling of financial support, while even a third of Labour supporters said he had got the right balance.
What will really worry Team Sunak is the polling by Focaldata, I think Team Sunak want to portray Sunak as a man of integrity and well the public isn’t buying it, he appears to be just like Boris Johnson and his Whatsapp messages.
Sunak is also expected to face a tough line of questioning from Hugo Keith KC, the lead counsel of the inquiry, over his failure to produce any of his WhatsApp messages from his time as chancellor.
He has told the inquiry that he has changed his phone several times over the last three years and does not have access to his messages as they were not backed up.
A source who worked closely with Sunak during the Covid pandemic said: “He’s going to get absolutely slaughtered over his failure to provide WhatsApps.”
A separate poll by Focaldata has revealed that 59 per cent of voters believe Sunak intentionally hid his WhatsApp messages from the Covid inquiry. Even among Conservative voters, 48 per cent believe he deliberately kept his the messages hidden.
As Sir Keir Starmer KC has shown Rishi Sunak doesn’t like being eviscerated by a brilliant lawyer and Sunak’s petulant side usually makes an appearance, if that side appears to the inquiry then Sir Graham Brady’s postie is going to end up with a hernia.
TSE