Multiple polls indicate that Labour is leading the Conservatives by about 20 points and might win up to 450 of the 650 parliamentary seats.
LONDON, July 1 (Xinhua) -- Conflicts between British elites and ordinary voters have become a prominent issue during the general election, a British expert has said.
As the cost of living in Britain keeps soaring, some have accused Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who comes from a wealthy family, of being "out of touch," Stuart Wilks-Heeg, a professor of politics at the University of Liverpool, told Xinhua in a recent interview.
Wilks-Heeg noted that during a cost-of-living crisis, Sunak's well-known wealth has become a significant issue in the general election.
According to the BBC, Sunak -- a former hedge fund manager -- and his wife Akshata Murty are estimated to have a personal fortune of 650 million pounds (about 821 million U.S. dollars).
Wilks-Heeg said the British electorate typically does not penalize politicians for their wealth. More crucially, he emphasized, is their capacity to comprehend and empathize with voters' personal situations -- an area where he believes Sunak struggles.
Sunak was recently ridiculed after telling ITV News that his family was denied a subscription to Sky TV when asked how he can relate to people struggling financially, a remark seen as out of touch with poverty.
Earlier this month, he faced accusations of dereliction of duty for leaving an event marking the 80th anniversary of the Normandy landings early for a TV interview. Sunak later apologized for his decision.
The Labour Party has used Sunak's wealth to portray him as "out of touch" and disconnected from ordinary people, Wilks-Heeg observed. "It's been a big feature of this election that the leaders have tried to position themselves as ordinary people and as politicians who understand them. Whether that's worked, I'm very skeptical. I think for Sunak in particular, it's been very difficult to make that case," he said.
Wilks-Heeg noted that the general view is that the Conservatives' record on these issues is poor during their 14 years in government, and the Labour Party is seen as the alternative for change, even though there is "no great enthusiasm" for Keir Starmer, the Labour leader.
Wilks-Heeg described this election as one of those pivotal moments where people are eager for changes, for example on key issues such as cost of living, the economy, healthcare, and education.
If this sentiment persists, it will determine the election outcome, he said. "After 14 years in power, it's very difficult for any governing party to argue that they should be re-elected, particularly if they seem to be struggling on core issues like the economy, like healthcare."
Multiple polls indicate that Labour is leading the Conservatives by about 20 points and might win up to 450 of the 650 parliamentary seats.
Wilks-Heeg said the deciding factor would be the voters' evaluation of the two leaders. Comparatively, Starmer is seen "less negatively," he added. ■
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