New research has revealed that Conservative politicians are increasingly being viewed as “weird” by members of the public, with similar trends emerging on both sides of the pond.
With the bumbling years of Boris Johnson behind us and the short-lived pandemonium that characterised the Liz Truss administration still fresh in the memory, signs that the Conservative brand could have suffered irreparable damage are starting to show.
Interest in the latest leadership contest is almost non-existent among members of the public, with 70 per cent of respondents to a More in Common poll saying they don’t know who any of the candidates are.
Even the party’s own voters are unsure of who is standing to replace Rishi Sunak, with only a handful believing that any of them could defeat Labour at the next General Election.
Meanwhile, the research also showed that the party is struggling with reliability, with many people starting to see Tory politicians as a bit odd.
In a similar vein to the attack that US Democrats have levelled against Republicans, especially the vice-presidential candidate JD Vance, the research found “there is a danger that the Conservatives have started to become seen as ‘weird’”.
The research also included polling of the general public that found that Patel, a former home secretary, was the only candidate more than half of people could correctly identify from a photo.
Even among those who voted for the Conservatives this year, Patel, Cleverly and Kemi Badenoch were the only candidates more than half could correctly identify.
Of the candidates who were introduced to the focus groups, which were shown video clips, Badenoch, a former business secretary, performed best with those who switched to the Lib Dems and Reform, with the highest number saying they would be willing to give her a hearing and that she offered something “new and different and refreshing”.
However, the candidate who was most liked by the group was Cleverly, another former home secretary, his ordinary background contrasting with that of the multimillionaire Rishi Sunak.
Participants described him as “friendly, plain-speaking and approachable and [he] seemed to have a laid-back character”, though a few participants were turned off by what they had heard as him having a reputation for off-colour jokes.
The former immigration minister Robert Jenrick, seen in Westminster as one of the frontrunners to become Tory leader, received a relatively poor reception, described as “smug” “slimy” or “wooden”, although some who switched to Reform said they agreed with his messaging.
Related: Survey suggests fall in national pride but more inclusivity on British identity
