(London) With less than three weeks until election day in the United Kingdom, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is running out of time to turn the tide in favor of his Conservative party.
Mr Sunak, who has attended a G7 summit and a conference in Switzerland on the war in Ukraine in recent days, is concerned about whether voters are about to bring his rule to an abrupt end on July 4.
Polls continue to give the Labor Party, the center-left opposition led by Keir Starmer, a lead of more than 10 points over the Conservatives, in power for 14 years but under five different prime ministers.
Rishi Sunak’s attempts to narrow the gap have had little apparent impact. The biggest wave he’s made in the campaign so far was a gaffe: his decision to miss an international ceremony in France on June 6 marking the 80th anniversary of D-Day. He’s since apologized for it.
John Curtice, a professor of politics at the University of Strathclyde and one of Britain’s most respected polling experts, said support for the Conservatives is at its lowest level in UK polling history and that Sunak “needs to start questioning his decision to call an early election.”
Last week, the Conservatives and Labor released their election manifestos, containing promises that form the centerpiece of their pitch to voters.
The Conservatives have focused on cutting immigration and taxes, promising £17bn ($29.63bn) in tax cuts by 2030, largely funded by cuts in welfare spending.
Labor has promised to revive the economy after years of weak growth by establishing a new industrial policy, investing in infrastructure, cutting planning red tape and building 1.5 million new homes. They have promised not to raise personal taxes, but the Conservatives say the tax burden will increase under Labor.
Critics say neither party is upfront about the tax increases that would be needed to repair public services left in shambles after years of Tory-led spending cuts, Brexit, a global pandemic and the cost of living crisis triggered by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
“The gaping hole in both parties’ platforms is consideration of the scale and severity of the fiscal problems that whoever wins the election will face,” said Hannah White, director of the independent think tank Institute for Government .
The Conservatives’ electoral prospects deteriorated when populist Nigel Farage entered the race to lead the right-wing Reform UK party. Although he is unlikely to win many seats in Parliament, the reformists’ vote share appears to be increasing, largely to the conservative’s detriment.
In recent days, the Conservative message has shifted from victory to warning that voting for Reform could help Labor achieve a landslide victory.
“If you vote for anyone other than a Conservative candidate, you will get a Labor government with a large majority,” Transport Secretary Mark Harper told the BBC on Sunday.
Labor fears its supporters will think the election is over and stay home on polling day. The party’s health spokesman, Wes Streeting, warned on Sunday that there was “a breathtaking complacency on the part of the media” about Labour’s lead in the polls.
Mr Sunak, in power for less than 20 months, insists he is still fighting to win.
The UK’s first Hindu prime minister told the Sunday Times that he was guided by the concept of dharma, which he said roughly translates to “doing one’s duty and not focusing on results”.
“Work as hard as you can, do what you believe is right, try, and what happens will happen,” he said.