There was, and remains, a durable coalition behind a Tory Party that stands unabashedly as the champion of working people of every class.
It’s hard to say this was a Autumn Statement for ordinary working-class voters though – the voters who gave the Party its massive 2019 majority
It’s hard to know how to reply to voters who say “your mistakes were massive, and we’re paying the price”.
The Conservatives can only have a hope of improving their position if they realise how bad it is.
George Osborne managed to deliver employment and productivity even whilst cutting spending. The Chancellor can do the same.
It’s beyond frustrating to see the reputation of free-market policies trashed because of mistakes that could have been avoided with some basic research and planning.
Working class voters don’t yet hate the new policies, but it is easy to see how they will come to do so as a bad winter bites.
He is entirely devoted to the country. He’s the country’s over-worked parish priest; he seems to exist to keep the country ticking over.
The Government’s survival depends on a massive package of financial support for families.
Voters’ assessments of their ability to pay their bills make grim reading. Ministers will need to tread very carefully in the months ahead.
Levelling-up can only work if the Prime Minister takes it so seriously they’re prepared to see most policy areas – or at least a good number of them – through the prism of it.
The reality is sleaze stories come and go without making any real impact on the polls at all – such is the low regard in which politicians are held.
The public will react very badly if they come to see the strikes as essentially political, but the Conservatives won’t want to appear unable to govern.
Sunak is unquestionably in the strongest position, but he has never appeared keen on the levelling-up agenda.