London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Oct 22, 2025

Rishi Sunak’s spring statement reopens questions about his political savvy

Rishi Sunak’s spring statement reopens questions about his political savvy

Analysis: Clunky media appearances highlight an awkwardness with ordinary voters that was invisible during the pandemic
One of Gordon Brown’s few and oft-repeated jokes was that there are two kinds of chancellor: those who fail, and those who get out in time.

Despite having served little more than two years in the job, Rishi Sunak may have missed the moment to quit – or move next door – while he was ahead, according to Thursday’s front pages at least.

Even George Osborne’s pasty tax/granny tax/caravan tax “omnishambles” budget of 2012 did not fall apart so fast – though Sunak’s supporters may take comfort in the fact the Tories went on to win the next election.

The economic backdrop he faces is grim and unenviable. But the deliberate political decision not to provide additional help for the hardest hit, while pre-announcing a tax cut clearly timed to suit the electoral cycle, looked uncaring and cynical.

Even the pro-government Daily Express front page said: “The forgotten millions say: what about us?”

Sunak’s fumbled defence of his policies in a string of awkward and sometimes tetchy media interviews – including a showdown on LBC with a single mum who cannot afford to keep the heating on – did not help.

Back in the dark days at the start of the coronavirus pandemic, the chancellor’s smooth delivery offered a reassuring contrast to Boris Johnson’s dishevelled style and mixed messages.

Just shy of 42, he came of age in the Blair years, and can speak to a younger generation than the prime minister, whose classical allusions and dated cultural references set him apart.

It was Sunak who told the public he would do “whatever it takes” to protect their livelihoods through lockdown – and the policy for which he is best known, the £69bn furlough scheme, met the urgency of the moment.

Yet he has spent much of the time since then trying to redraw his political image from saviour of the working man to dry-as-dust Thatcherite tax-cutter: Philip Hammond in a hoodie.

He wanted to turn off the furlough scheme in autumn 2020, before Covid cases surged again and made clear that would be a dangerous mistake.

He pushed through cuts to overseas aid, and insisted on removing the £1,000 a year boost to universal credit that had helped the poorest households through the crisis (though he then partly reversed that move, by cutting the taper rate).

He announced a slew of tax increases in an attempt to get the public finances back in shape – including freezing personal tax thresholds and hiking corporation tax – yet ended October’s budget with a stirring promise of future tax cuts.

Wednesday’s spring statement included that crowd-pleasing cut in fuel duty, but nothing for those reliant on state benefits, aside from £500m extra for a local council hardship fund – an omission one senior Tory put down to Sunak being “allergic to welfare”.

All that suits the political predilections of the Tory rightwingers who would be his most obvious first-round backers in a future leadership contest. Yet at the same time, by appearing tin-eared, it has reopened nagging questions about his political savvy.

His string of clunky media appearances also pointed to an awkwardness with ordinary voters that was invisible during the pandemic at the Downing Street podium; and a failure to grasp how the other half live.

In just one example, he cited his favourite seeded Hovis bread as one of the staples whose price is going up, before adding: “We have all different breads in my house.”

He also has a swimming pool, a condo in the couple’s spiritual second home of California, and – in his wife’s case – a £700m stake in the tech giant Infosys. All of which might not matter so much, if the cost of living crisis was not front and centre of the public’s minds.

Wednesday’s statement may also have accelerated a process pollsters say has been happening for some time. Now he’s no longer paying wages from the public purse, and with the economic outlook darkening, voters may gradually be falling out of love with Sunak.

A snap poll carried out by YouGov on Wednesday had 69% of respondents saying he had not done enough to tackle the cost of living crisis.

Not so long ago, the polished Sunak seemed the obvious successor to the prime minister, who was blundering insouciantly from one crisis to another. But with a tough 12 months ahead, it appears increasingly likely the peak of the chancellor’s popularity – the moment when he could have “got out in time” – has already passed.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
White House Announces No Imminent Summit Between Trump and Putin
US and Qatar Warn EU of Trade and Energy Risks from Tough Climate Regulation
Apple Challenges EU Digital Markets Act Crackdown in Landmark Court Battle
Nicolas Sarkozy begins five-year prison term at La Santé in Paris
Japan stocks surge to record as Sanae Takaichi becomes Prime Minister
This Is How the 'Heist of the Century' Was Carried Out at the Louvre in Seven Minutes: France Humiliated as Crown with 2,000 Diamonds Vanishes
China Warns UK of ‘Consequences’ After Delay to London Embassy Approval
France’s Wealthy Shift Billions to Luxembourg and Switzerland Amid Tax and Political Turmoil
"Sniper Position": Observation Post Targeting 'Air Force One' Found Before Trump’s Arrival in Florida
Shouting Match at the White House: 'Trump Cursed, Threw Maps, and Told Zelensky – "Putin Will Destroy You"'
Windows’ Own ‘Siri’ Has Arrived: You Can Now Talk to Your Computer
Thailand and Singapore Investigate Cambodian-Based Prince Group as U.S. and U.K. Sanctions Unfold
‘No Kings’ Protests Inflate Numbers — But History Shows Nations Collapse Without Strong Executive Power
Chinese Tech Giants Halt Stablecoin Launches After Beijing’s Regulatory Intervention
Manhattan Jury Holds BNP Paribas Liable for Enabling Sudanese Government Abuses
Trump Orders Immediate Release of Former Congressman George Santos After Commuting Prison Sentence
S&P Downgrades France’s Credit Rating, Citing Soaring Debt and Political Instability
Ofcom Rules BBC’s Gaza Documentary ‘Materially Misleading’ Over Narrator’s Hamas Ties
Diane Keaton’s Cause of Death Revealed as Pneumonia, Family Confirms
Former Lostprophets Frontman Ian Watkins Stabbed to Death in British Prison
"The Tsunami Is Coming, and It’s Massive": The World’s Richest Man Unveils a New AI Vision
Outsider, Heroine, Trailblazer: Diane Keaton Was Always a Little Strange — and Forever One of a Kind
Dramatic Development in the Death of 'Mango' Founder: Billionaire's Son Suspected of Murder
Two Years of Darkness: The Harrowing Testimonies of Israeli Hostages Emerging From Gaza Captivity
EU Moves to Use Frozen Russian Assets to Buy U.S. Weapons for Ukraine
Europe Emerges as the Biggest Casualty in U.S.-China Rare Earth Rivalry
HSBC Confronts Strategic Crossroads as NAB Seeks Only Retail Arm in Australia Exit
U.S. Chamber Sues Trump Over $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
Shenzhen Expo Spotlights China’s Quantum Step in Semiconductor Self-Reliance
China Accelerates to the Forefront in Global Nuclear Fusion Race
Yachts, Private Jets, and a Picasso Painting: Exposed as 'One of the Largest Frauds in History'
Australia’s Wedgetail Spies Aid NATO Response as Russian MiGs Breach Estonian Airspace
McGowan Urges Chalmers to Cut Spending Over Tax Hike to Close $20 Billion Budget Gap
Victoria Orders Review of Transgender Prison Placement Amid Safety Concerns for Female Inmates
U.S. Treasury Mobilises New $20 Billion Debt Facility to Stabilise Argentina
French Business Leaders Decry Budget as Macron’s Pro-Enterprise Promise Undermined
Trump Claims Modi Pledged India Would End Russian Oil Imports Amid U.S. Tariff Pressure
Surging AI Startup Valuations Fuel Bubble Concerns Among Top Investors
Australian Punter Archie Wilson Tears Up During Nebraska Press Conference, Sparking Conversation on Male Vulnerability
Australia Confirms U.S. Access to Upgraded Submarine Shipyard Under AUKUS Deal
“Firepower” Promised for Ukraine as NATO Ministers Meet — But U.S. Tomahawks Remain Undecided
Brands Confront New Dilemma as Extremists Adopt Fashion Labels
The Sydney Sweeney and Jeans Storm: “The Outcome Surpassed Our Wildest Dreams”
Erika Kirk Delivers Moving Tribute at White House as Trump Awards Charlie Presidential Medal of Freedom
British Food Influencer ‘Big John’ Detained in Australia After Visa Dispute
ScamBodia: The Chinese Fraud Empire Shielded by Cambodia’s Ruling Elite
French PM Suspends Macron’s Pension Reform Until After 2027 in Bid to Stabilize Government
Orange, Bouygues and Free Make €17 Billion Bid for Drahi’s Altice France Telecom Assets
Dutch Government Seizes Chipmaker After U.S. Presses for Removal of Chinese CEO
Bessent Accuses China of Dragging Down Global Economy Amid New Trade Curbs
×