Rishi Sunak's Approval Soars
Rishi Sunak's approval score soared during the Election Showdown as he issued a tough response to questions about the Tory's record. The PM highlighted his party's strong record on education and tough lines on immigration, which resonated well with viewers. However, his defence of the Tory betting scandal fell flat, according to our exclusive tracker.
Keir Starmer's Strategy Pays Off
Our exclusive tracker also revealed that voters approved of Sir Keir Starmer distancing himself from Jeremy Corbyn during the showdown. Additionally, Starmer's personal anecdotes about the NHS garnered positive reactions from the audience, including 2019 Tory voters.
Public Opinion on Key Issues
Rishi Sunak received backing from 2019 Tory voters for hitting back at claims that Britain had made no progress in 14 years. His mention of education as a Tory success story resonated well with the audience. However, discussions on the Tory betting scandal proved to be a stumbling block for the PM.
On the other hand, Keir Starmer scored highly with personal anecdotes about NHS care, which led to a small boost in approval, even among Tory voters. His emphasis on the importance of public hospitals struck a chord with the audience.
Expert Analysis and Pollster Insights
Expert pollsters from JL Partners surveyed 1,000 representative voters split between 2019 Tory and Labour voters. Each viewer was shown clips from the Election Showdown and asked to indicate how they felt in real-time. According to pollster James Johnson, Rishi Sunak's defence on the betting scandal did not fully resonate with the audience, while Keir Starmer's focus on the NHS proved to be a successful strategy.
