Economy alone will not be enough to save Rishi Sunak, Tories warn

Rishi Sunak, the Conservative Party's economic advisor, has been cautioned that the strategy of depending on economic growth to boost the party's chances in the upcoming elections is not proving to be effective.

The leader of the government anticipates that an improvement in the economy could play a significant role in changing the voting results and persuading the citizens that he is steering the nation towards the correct path.

There has been a lot of excitement surrounding the newly-implemented economic strategies for this month. These actions involve elevating the lowest legal pay rate, reducing national insurance payments, and providing a break on value-added tax for small enterprises.

However, individuals within the political party cautioned that the effect is not being sensed by the electorate.

According to them, the sweeteners in the budget are insufficient to change people's perceptions if they think that other important policies like dealing with illegal immigration are not successful.

When questioned about how much the Prime Minister was delaying the implementation of tax and spending policies set to take effect this month, an insider from the government responded by emphasizing the significance of the economy in all aspects of decision-making.

Members of the Conservative party's inner circle advised Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak to not solely rely on the economy as a solution, stating that this strategy was not secure.

As the normal council tax payment is increasing by £103 annually, water bills by £28 a year, and broadband fees by £28 per year, this information has been disclosed.

Nonetheless, the typical expense for energy is predicted to decrease by £238 annually.

A recent survey over the weekend indicated that the Conservative party is projected to have less than 100 seats in the upcoming general election. This survey is in agreement with previous predictions made about their electoral fate.

The leader of a Conservative group in a district that is vulnerable to being won by the Labour Party stated that utilizing the economy as a political strategy is ineffective in gaining support from nearby residents.

I cannot deny the possibility that it might work to some extent. I fully comprehend the reasoning behind scheduling a general election in the fall, and it could potentially have positive outcomes, as stated by the individual who spoke to i.

The individuals I converse with often vote for the Conservative party and the main issue they face is the rise in mortgage interest rates. Even if a tax reduction is implemented to provide them with an additional £300 annually, they will not be concerned if they have to pay an extra £300-400 per month towards their mortgage.

They stated that they thought it would be best to hold the election at an earlier date rather than a later one.

They suggested that Rishi should just finish it and move on. It can be very discouraging to always feel like you're facing an uphill battle.

I believe that those in charge of No 10 are of the opinion that we should wait until the autumn season because it makes sense that the economy will bounce back. Furthermore, the Bank of England is expected to lower interest rates at some point during this timeframe, which will undoubtedly assist in the process.

The Downing Street seems to be delaying the decision about when to conduct the election. Mr. Sunak, in the meanwhile, is under pressure from Conservative MPs, who have warned him of a potential leadership challenge if the party's situation does not improve. When asked about the election, No. 10 did not deny the possibility of holding it in summer, but insiders suggest that October or November is a more suitable time for it.

Despite those who doubt that Mr. Sunak is the suitable leader for the political party, there seems to be no other feasible option in sight.

Someone said that the party is in a state of decline and every action it takes will lead to further deterioration.

According to a Conservative Member of Parliament, they do not believe that Mr. Sunak will hold the position of Prime Minister in the upcoming election.

I can't stop thinking that the No. 10 is using this constant talk about an early election as a strategy to intimidate, but it seems to be having the opposite outcome.

The alarming figures of small boat arrivals are causing concern, with 5,000 already recorded for 2024. It is understandable that people are worried about the situation. With the upcoming May election results, there is a possibility of unpredictable outcomes.

The professor of politics and specialist in polling, Will Jennings, reported that the statistics demonstrate a slight increase in the economic positivity survey measurements. However, he clarified that it remains predominantly negative.

According to him, the government's most ideal approach to winning competitive results at the election is by improving the economic mood. As a result, it would be wise to delay actions until the situation improves.

The negative aspect of this situation is the economic basics. It's not clear when the economy will recover. Despite some improvements, people remain extremely negative about the economy.

He said: "If the economy improves, they will have something to campaign on. But, if it doesn't, they won't have much to campaign about because the small boats policy hasn't been successful, and it's not a clear distinction between them and their opponents."

The demand for public services is causing difficulty, which signifies that the economy is the only aspect where the Prime Minister can create a story if it improves. However, this approach is risky since the results cannot be foreseen. It may not work out successfully, but considering their current situation, it is the only available option - to wait and hope.

In different words, the individual from the government said that the Labour party is attempting to make Britain appear bad, continuously being negative. However, the reality is that we have made progress since Covid and the energy issue caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. It's no wonder that Starmer hardly ever talks about the economy during PMQs.

They suggested that their election strategy will involve cautioning against voting for Sir Keir Starmer's party as it would be regressive. Furthermore, they added that the Labour party's unbacked pledges, specifically their £28bn investment in environmental initiatives, could derail our economy just as it's beginning to rebound.

A representative from the Labour party retaliated by claiming that the Conservatives are unable to improve our economy as they are the ones who caused it to malfunction in the beginning.

They said: "We, the Labour Party, believe that Britain has a bright future ahead. Our strategy is geared towards promoting development in all areas of the country, raising the financial status of the people, and providing them with the authority to decide upon their priorities. If the Prime Minister is convinced that his scheme is effective, he should take the initiative and organize an election immediately."