Today’s study revealed that more than two-thirds of Britons think ultra-wealthy politicians are unable to relate to the problems of common people, which dealt a blow to Rishi Sunak.
The former Chancellor is considered to be the most out-of-touch of the candidates to succeed Boris Johnson. He is also said to be the richest MP in the Commons and have a millionaire heiress wife.
The results of an exclusive investigation conducted by MailOnline come as MPs this week cast crucial votes for the final five Tory candidates vying for the position of party leader.
In a worrying sign for the Conservatives, the Redfield & Wilton Strategies survey suggests that the public want the new PM to call a snap general election – by 60 per cent to 24 per cent.
The assertion that “an enormously affluent politician cannot relate with the lives of average Britons” was endorsed by 69% of respondents, including 41% who expressed strong agreement.
Just 9% of respondents disagreed, in comparison.
When given a selection of Tory candidates and asked which one best embodied the phrase “out of touch,” 41% of respondents chose Mr. Sunak, while only 6% chose Liz Truss and Penny Mordaunt.
Ahead of tomorrow’s second round of MP voting, the remaining candidates are preparing for a pivotal TV debate.
In the current round of voting, Mr. Sunak has received the most votes and appears to be headed for the head-to-head run-off ballot among Tory members. However, polls have shown that he may lose to a rival at that point, and there is a fierce competition for the other seat in the final race.
In second place, trade minister Penny Mordaunt has been gaining a lot of support, although she has been under a lot of scrutiny about her views on gender problems.
Ms. Truss has been pleading with right-wingers to band together behind her, and Kemi Badenoch has also been doing well. A ConservativeHome poll that claims to show that Ms. Badenoch is the favorite of activists has bolstered her popularity.
Tom Tugendhat, chair of the foreign affairs committee, was seen favorably in the first debate on Friday night, despite having the least support from MPs of the remaining candidates.
According to Philip van Scheltinga, research director at Redfield & Wilton Strategies, “Our polling shows, decisively, that the Conservative Party would struggle to connect with voters in the “Red Wall” and other marginalized areas of Britain that voted for Boris in 2019 and to leave the EU in 2016 with Rishi Sunak as their leader.”
1 500 Britons were polled on July 14 by Redfield & Wilton Strategies, and the findings were weighted to reflect the general population.
