NEARLY three-quarters of people (73%) don’t believe that Rishi Sunak’s Conservative party understand local issues – but Labour can’t take much comfort, as 57% felt the same way about Sir Keir Starmer’s party.
With the General Election now under a fortnight away, Times Radio polled the nation to find out what they think about politics.
The majority of respondents (61%) said they felt well-informed about national politics, compared to 39% who said they felt informed about local issues.
Additionally, 43% of UK adults reported often discussing politics with family and friends.
But among the biggest challenges facing politicians is making decisions that impact many people’s lives (47%), followed by being on the receiving end of abuse (35%) and the necessity of making difficult ethical decisions (28%).
Some respondents (17%), lacked sympathy, asserting that there are no real challenges for politicians.
These findings underscore the complexities and demands of political leadership in the current climate, as well as the disconnect with local communities.
The South East is among the regions with the least confidence in Keir Starmer and the Labour Party’s understanding of local issues, with only 19% of respondents agreeing they understand these issues.
However, that is still more trust than shown in Rishi and the Conservatives, with just over a tenth of respondents from the South East (12%) feeling that the party understands their local issues well. More locally, over a quarter of respondents in the South East have faith in their local representatives (29%).
The majority of respondents from the South East (60%) said they felt well-informed about national politics and 43% say they regularly discuss politics with friends and family.
Among locals there’s a strong sense they could do a better job than current politicians. A significant proportion (37%) of those in the South East believe they would be better MPs than the current politicians.
John Pienaar, Times Radio presenter, said: “This research shows people are interested and aware of what’s happening in politics, but feel politicians don’t understand what matters to them locally.
“We’ve hit the road with the Times Radio election bus to talk to people up and down the country. And to listen. We’ll be discussing the things people think really matter. We’ll make sure our listeners feel informed and involved as we get closer to election day.”
These insights come from research conducted by YouGov Plc on behalf of Times Radio.
Total sample size 4,092 adults, with fieldwork was undertaken between May 31 and June 4, online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all GB adults (aged 18+).
The Times Radio election bus is currently on a tour of the nation. It is not stopping anywhere locally:
Sat 23 June: Bath
Mon 24 June: Cheltenham
Tues 25 June: Bristol
Weds 26 June: North East Somerset
Thurs 27 June: Weymouth
Fri 28 June: Oxford
Sat 29 June: Bournemouth
Sun 30 June: Brighton
Mon 1 July: Chingford
Tues 2 July: West London
Weds 3 July: Dartford
