The party's focus groups of what it calls "hero voters" - who backed the Tories in 2019 and are now considering Labour - suggest this group are unconvinced that the economy is improving despite the inflation rate coming down slowly.
Before the autumn's party conference season, Labour is planning a dual attack on Sunak for appearing out of touch over voter's concerns, and for his vulnerability to calls from backbenchers for unfunded tax cuts that could lead to "Truss Mk II".
A memo prepared by Keir Starmer's strategy director, Deborah Mattinson, seen by the Guardian, shows from the party's polling and focus groups that swing voters do not feel better off and therefore the suggestion of an improving economy is "grating".
A senior Labour source said: "What we have seen this summer is Rishi Sunak going on television telling people: 'Isn't everything going great?, while at the same time mortgages are going up, foods bills are rising and energy prices rising. He's widely out of touch and working people are worse off.
This story is from the August 26, 2023 edition of The Guardian.
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This story is from the August 26, 2023 edition of The Guardian.
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