London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Oct 02, 2026

Liz Truss v Rishi Sunak: Who's winning the social media war?

Liz Truss v Rishi Sunak: Who's winning the social media war?

Social media is a key battleground in any election - even one with a very small electorate. How are Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss trying to win over the Tory members who will choose the next PM?

They are two very different characters, with two very different campaigning styles.

"Everything about Sunak's approach is slick," says PR expert Mark Borkowski.

"It is overly professional in some points. I am not sure whether that is a good or a bad thing. There seems to be a lot of strategy and thinking behind it."

The Truss campaign on the other hand "feels a little bit more homespun", he adds.

Sunak's social media strategy is masterminded by Cass Horowitz, son of best-selling novelist Anthony Horowitz. As a special adviser to Sunak when he was chancellor, Horowitz used fancy graphics and clever tag lines to sell "Brand Rishi" to a younger, politically unengaged audience on Instagram.

The glossy "origin story" video Sunak used to launch his leadership campaign on Twitter - in which he talked about how his mother came to the UK in the early 1960s "armed with hope for a better life" - has been viewed more than 8 million times.

Rishi Sunak's back story video has been viewed more than 8 million times


So slick was this film that it raised suspicions that it had been in the works for some time - a

suspicion shared by Mark Borkowski, who notes: "You don't create this sort of campaign overnight".

Team Sunak insist the video was put together in 24 hours, after Boris Johnson announced he was standing down.

Liz Truss's social team, run by Reuben Solomon, former head of digital at the Conservative Party, and a protege of Boris Johnson's favourite election strategist Sir Lynton Crosby, have played it safer so far.

The foreign secretary's launch film is an attempt to project her as an international stateswoman. There is little about her own back story, and no spontaneous "behind the scenes" footage. There is much talk about "delivery".

Liz Truss projects herself as an international stateswoman who is ready to lead


One similarity between the two candidates - and indeed all of the Tory MPs who threw their hats into the leadership ring - is their desire to be on first name terms with the electorate.

This is not a smart move, according to Anthony Ridge-Newman, associate professor of media and communication at Liverpool Hope University.

"Boris Johnson is one of the few politicians to ever be referred to commonly by his first name. The online campaign slogans, both Liz for Leader; and Ready for Rishi, are an attempt to emulate Boris's first name appeal.

"Had either of the Tory leadership candidates come to me for my expert advice, I would have suggested foregrounding their last names, Sunak and Truss.

"It would help their campaigns appear more prime ministerial, which, if I know anything about the Conservative Party, is something they look for in their candidates."

Rishi Sunak reacts to news that he has made the final two, in a campaign video


Rishi Sunak's use of video has been more adventurous, with candid, supposedly off-the-cuff footage of him reacting to key moments. There was even an unexpected venture into comedy, with a parody of 1930s cinema newsreel, in a video trumpeting his Brexiteer credentials.

But neither candidate is a natural in front of the camera or the smartphone, in Ridge-Newman's opinion, lacking the fluency of Boris Johnson or David Cameron.

"Sunak's digital content is largely presenting him to be a regular guy," which may be an attempt to neutralise recent media portrayals of him as a member of the wealthy "elite". he says.

Team Sunak venture into parody with an early social video


"Truss on the other hand is presenting herself in a more statuesque manner. The digital content comes across quite posed and generic, and plays on her role, time and successes as foreign secretary.

"While Truss does not come across as a digital native, her social media campaign seems as though it is most strategically steered towards the Conservative Party membership, who are the ones who will be voting to decide Britain's next prime minister."

Liz Truss emphasises 'delivery' in her launch video


One problem for Team Truss is that memes making fun of their candidate have been shared far more than anything produced by the campaign.

"She seems to be the one suffering from a lot of parody," says Mark Borkowski.

So far, Google searches for "Liz Truss" have far outranked those for "Rishi Sunak", but they are often accompanied by the word "cheese".

This is a reference to a 2015 conference speech. in which he she says, in an impassioned voice: "We import two-thirds of our cheese. That. Is. A. Disgrace."

Mr Sunak has also attracted derision on social media, with Labour supporters and others sharing a clip of him as a teenager talking about how he has no working class friends.

The Truss campaign quotes the Daily Mail in a social media post


But ultimately this is not a campaign that will be won and lost on social media.

As the BBC's Media Editor Amol Rajan has pointed out, the Tory membership are "a narrow section of the population that is much more attuned to newsprint than most Britons".

And Liz Truss appears to have one of the UK's biggest-selling papers The Daily Mail in her corner, which could prove decisive for her.

"In this old-fashioned newspaper election, the tenor of newsprint coverage over the next week could have a significant impact on who becomes prime minister - especially if the Times, Sun and Telegraph decide that, like the Mail, they know who they want, and give hell to whosoever they decide they don't want," says Amol Rajan.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Scottish Court to Rule on Bid to Force No-Confidence Vote Against Aberdeen Council Co-Leader
UK Bans Extra Charges for Seating Children Under 12 Beside Accompanying Adults
UK Introduces Vaping Duty and New Licensing Requirements
Greggs to Close Four UK Factories and Cut 740 Jobs
Hundreds of Prisoners Released Early as England and Wales Prisons Reach 98% Capacity
UK Unveils New Russia Sanctions Targeting War Funding and Shadow Fleet
Burnham Says There Are Strong Indications of Iranian Involvement in RAF Fairford Security Breach
Prime Minister Andy Burnham Raises Prospect of Reviewing Britain's Post-Brexit EU Relationship
Markets Price in Bank of England Rate Increases as Inflation Rises to 3.1%
UK Borrowing Costs Climb Toward 5.5% as Global Bond Sell-Off Intensifies
UK-France One-In-One-Out Migration Agreement Expires as London Seeks Alternative Measures
Southwest England Faces Flood Alerts After Heavy Autumn Storms
UK Expands Funding for Rapid Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure
Welsh Government Approves Funding to Upgrade South Wales Transport
Northern Ireland Tensions Rise as Orange Order Rejects Drumcree Compromise
NHS Leaders Back Early Design of Proposed National Care Service
More Than One-Third of Regional UK Universities Face Financial Deficits
UK Current Account Deficit Narrows as Cross-Border Financial Flows Remain Strong
Bank of England and FCA Issue New Rules for Stablecoins and Digital Assets
MI5 Warns UK Universities Over Research Links With Chinese Institutions
UK Energy Price Cap Rises 4% as Electricity VAT Is Temporarily Suspended
Equity Calls for UK Personality Rights to Protect Performers From AI Replication
OpenAI Pauses Advanced Model Training Following Safety Concerns
Scottish Government Proposes Replacing 32 Councils With Larger Regional Authorities
Ofgem Raises UK Household Energy Price Cap by 4% From October
UK Counter-Terrorism Police Continue Investigation After Five Arrests Near RAF Fairford
OECD Cuts UK 2027 Growth Forecast to 1%
Labour Says State Pension Triple Lock Remains Protected Through Current Parliament
Andy Burnham Pledges National Care Service With Free Social Care in England
Six Flags Permanently Shuts Landmark X2 Roller Coaster Following Safety Scandals
Metropolitan Police Rule Out Terrorism in Golders Green Stabbing Investigation
Lithium-Ion Battery Identified as Cause of Fatal Merseyside House Fire
UK Department Rejects New Sea Use Framework Due to Stakeholder Fatigue
Major Thames Water Pipe Burst Causes School Closures in London
Aldi Commits £900 Million to Expand UK Supermarket Network
Scottish Affairs Committee Warns Skills Shortages Threaten Defence Sector Expansion
Parliamentary Committee Warns Northern Ireland Budget Deadlock is Stalling Economic Growth
NHS Hospitals in England Face Severe Shortages of Essential Medications
Home Secretary Signals Major Overhaul of UK Immigration and Leave to Remain Policies
Chancellor Promises New Job Schemes Alongside Strict Fiscal Discipline
Energy Secretary Proposes Taxpayer-Funded Green Transition and National Electricity Grid
UK Government to Renationalise Avanti West Coast Railway Franchise in March
Prime Minister Andy Burnham Pledges Major Social Care and Infrastructure Reforms
Five Suspects Released on Bail Following Alleged Bomb Plot Near RAF Fairford
UK Diesel Prices Hit Record High of 199p Per Litre
Transport for Wales and Network Rail Complete Electrification of South Wales Metro
Defra Expands Incentives for Sustainable Farming and Biodiversity in England
Northern Ireland Executive Approves Funding Package to Resolve Public Sector Pay Disputes
Universities UK Warns of Financial Insolvency Risks for Higher Education Institutions
UK Prisons Activate Emergency Protocols to Manage Capacity Pressures
×