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The Story

Sunak vs Truss: The people's verdict

The Story

The Times

Current Affairs, Daily News Podcast, News Analysis, Politics, News, Audio Storytelling, Uk News, Exclusive Interviews, Investigative Reporting, In-depth Journalism, Daily News, Long-form Audio, Global News

3.91.6K Ratings

🗓️ 23 August 2022

⏱️ 27 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In two weeks, Liz Truss or Rishi Sunak will become prime minister - a decision that will be made by members of the Conservative Party. So how does the rest of the country feel about the new PM? The Times spoke to focus groups of swing voters to find out - but just who is the roadrunner and who the wily coyote?

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Guest: Charlotte Ivers, political correspondent, Times Radio and columnist, The Sunday Times. 

Host: Manveen Rana. 

Clips: Sky News.

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Transcript

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0:00.0

We are weeks away from finding out who will be the next prime minister.

0:11.4

All the evidence is clear.

0:13.3

I am the only person who can beat Labour.

0:16.4

I am the only candidate who can protect the Union and I am the only candidate who can

0:22.1

keep Brexit safe.

0:26.5

What the British people are crying out for is a modern and united Conservative party,

0:32.5

ready with the courage of its convictions to deliver on the promises that we have made.

0:39.2

So my friends, you can trust me.

0:45.0

Whilst normally prime ministers are elected after the whole country goes to the polls,

0:51.1

this time the decision will be made by less than 200,000 people who happen to be members

0:58.1

of the Conservative party.

0:59.7

I don't have the idea of somebody going into the prime minister that we haven't voted for.

1:06.1

At a time of national crisis with a cost of living, rocketing and a war being fought

1:11.9

in Europe, how does the rest of the country feel about the next inhabitant of 10 downing

1:18.0

street?

1:20.0

Well, as anyone in politics will tell you, there's one age old way of finding out.

1:27.0

If you want to know why people are thinking what they're thinking and, frankly, if you're

1:30.8

a politician or a brand, you want to know how to change what they're thinking, then

1:34.9

focus groups are really the qualitative way to properly dig down into those headline numbers

1:41.0

and understand what's going on.

1:43.4

If it's good enough for the politicians, it's good enough for us.

1:47.4

We assembled focus groups of undecided voters in three different locations to work out what

...

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