‘He’s leading the country into oblivion’: Workers in London commuter hotspot have little trust in politics

Workers and passers-by in Canary Wharf described the main political party leaders ahead of the general election as “uninspiring” and – at best – “reassuringly… dull”. They were also wary of the leaders’ priorities and had little confidence in their policies and how they would be implemented.

When asked to describe Tory Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in three words, one young man said: “Not very good. He had his high points, but now he’s leading the country into oblivion.” Another young man had to choose his words carefully when answering the same question: “Do they have to be PG? I can’t think of any that aren’t awful.”

He called Sunak “aloof” and “aristocratic” in demeanor. Sir Keir Starmer, the Labour leader, was described as “also uninspiring” and “robotic, unworldly”, said Kat, 30. A young man said: “He’s a good option, although I think he’ll be the same as Rishi Sunak… he says he’ll change something, but by and large they believe in the same things.”

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One young commuter said: “I don’t know what he stands for… I think he’s a bit of a flip-flopper, originally quite left wing, now quite capitalist… I’m not really sure where his real views lie.” Graham Pointer, 57, a commuter from Surrey, described both Sunak and Starmer as “hardworking, reliable, honest”.

Shortly afterward, he instead called the leaders “credible” and “reassuringly… boring,” saying, “I compare them to the clowns we’ve had so far.”

Mr Pointer said: “I think they are both afraid to tell the truth about what needs to be done on tax, and rather than admit that the country is in fact broke and needs quite drastic measures to get it back on a level playing field, they are making… ‘unfundable’ promises.”

His biggest concern for Election Day is “government spending and how to finance it,” he said: “I’m not sure any of the major parties have really come up with anything credible.”

One young man complained about the priorities of the election campaign. He said: “Immigration has become the central issue, the defining issue in this election, when in fact it is not. Sustainability, green issues, should absolutely be at the top of the list of things people are talking about.”

Kat, 38, would like to see “a formal approach to the conflict in Palestine and Israel”. A young commuter said the next government should prioritise “improving the general self-esteem of the country, in terms of respect for international law and things like that”.

Other areas of concern included the cost of living, NHS funding and house prices. One young woman said the focus on first-time homebuyers in the campaigns was an “interesting twist” to a focus on young people.

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