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Rishi Sunak wants to finish what Boris Johnson started, but will voters believe him?

Can flights to Rwanda bring about the change in fortunes this frustrated prime minister so desperately needs?

The polls remain stubbornly stagnant, suggesting that nothing Rishi Sunak has done so far has captured the public’s imagination, while the Labor Party, which has pledged to reject the Rwanda policy altogether, appears to be on course for a significant victory in the general election.

But something the Prime Minister said at today’s press conference could provide a hint at the kind of election he wants to fight.

Responding to the series of questions put to him by journalists in the room, Mr Sunak said: “We have to get the job done.”

Politics latest: Rwanda flights will start ‘whatever happens’

A phrase we will hear more and more as the election campaign progresses.

The Rwanda bill – a policy first proposed by Boris Johnson – is in fact more popular than the Labor Party would like to admit.

In a YouGov poll from June last year, 42% of respondents were in favor, compared to 39% against.

However, there is one big elephant in the room: the Conservatives are no longer the most trusted party on immigration.

Looking at recent YouGov polls, 21% of people think Labor can best handle asylum and immigration, while only 14% believe the same of the Conservatives.

Admittedly, this is hardly a convincing endorsement of public confidence in either party, but it is particularly a challenge for Mr Sunak.

It is clear that while a significant proportion of the British population may agree with the Conservatives on the policy principles, they do not trust them to deliver on their promises.

And it is precisely that loss of confidence that may mean that today’s press conference has little effect on public opinion about the Prime Minister, his party and policy as a whole.

Read more:
Sunak is preparing for a week-long series of announcements
Who could be in the running to replace Sunak?

Insist on that There are 200 case workers, 150 judges and 25 courtrooms available Weathering the expected tidal wave of legal challenges may sound impressive to some, but are the disenchanted voters who once voted for a Tory party that promised to get tough on migration still listening?

Today the Prime Minister told the nation: “Labour’s priority is to stop the planes, not stop the boats” – this line of attack may be catchy, but if flights of asylum seekers leave for Rwanda in July and August (something of which the Prime Minister insists this will happen) If this is the case) and the polls remain largely the same, Mr Sunak has a much wider problem than immigration.

Sky News

(c) Sky News 2024: Rishi Sunak wants to finish what Boris Johnson started – but will voters believe him?