20 June 2023
A More in Common poll shared exclusively with Playbook puts Labour up a stonking 5 points since May on 47 percent, with the Conservatives down 3 on 28 percent. The Liberal Democrats are also down 3, to 10 percent. Full stats here. Worryingly for Sunak, cost of living is named by 74 percent of voters as a pressing concern. The only glimmer of light for the Tories is a stat showing Sunak and Starmer neck and neck on preferred PM, with both on 34 percent.
19 June 2023
From 14:43, UK Director Luke Tryl discusses the impact of partygate on public attitudes to politics and the Conservative party
18 June 2023
What about the other sides of the great Boris electoral coalition, which delivered that 80-seat majority just 42 months ago? It is these voters, many of whom lent their vote to the Conservatives for the first time, that feel most let-down, according to Luke Tryl of the More In Common think tank.
The tone in his red wall focus groups is sour. “He was sat eating birthday cake with all his mates and the nurses were on the front line,” said Cordeilia, a family support worker from Leigh, Greater Manchester. “I’m glad he’s gone now because he just couldn’t help himself,” added Morgan, a gardener from Don Valley, South Yorkshire.
17 June 2023
That view chimes with focus groups carried out by the More In Common think tank, which show that voters believe the prime minister must stand up to his controversial predecessor. Luke Tryl, a former Tory adviser who is the group’s UK director, told HuffPost UK: “It emerged more strongly after the locals, particularly with more Blue Wall, Cameronite voters who are glad to have seen the back of Boris but worry that Sunak is still allowing him to dominate the agenda.
“They want Rishi to be forceful and stand up to Boris. The danger of not doing that means he comes across as weak, but it’s not helped by the fact that Boris is such a big figure.”
12 June 2023
Op-ed from UK Director Luke Tryl 'From the Red Wall to the Blue, Sunak’s electoral challenge is same – the NHS and the cost of living'
12 June 2023
From 17:20, UK Director Luke Tryl discusses the current state of UK public opinion