PM must do more to reassure voters, says Nick Ferrari

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak The Prime Minister chose my breakfast radio show last week for his last appearance before ‘breaking up’ for his first summer holiday with his family for four years. In part he used it to update us on progress made concerning the five pledges he laid out in January. To remind you briefly, they were to halve inflation, grow the economy, reduce national debt, cut hospital waiting lists and ‘stop’ the boats full of illegal migrants. Bounding into the studio with sleeves rolled up, Rishi Sunak hadn’t even sipped from his coffee before he was telling listeners he was confident the financial numbers were turning in his direction and he was on target with his aim regarding inflation. Having seen him ‘up close and personal’ on a number of occasions now, Mr Sunak is candidly never more sure footed than when he’s explaining money matters: this is Stuart Broad coming in from the Pavilion End on a humid day with rain in the offing. He was equally persuasive on the other economic issues, but it was when listeners started peppering him with other issues that the shine came off the new ball. READ MORE: Rishi Sunak spotted at Taylor Swift themed exercise class with his security Jack from Guildford spoke for many when he told the PM he was living in fear of coming off his fixed-term mortgage as his payments would virtually double overnight. Part of the PM’s advice to consider contacting his lender and extend the term did not sit well. Understandably Jack had no desire to still be paying off his mortgage as he approaches his 70s. Mr Sunak fared little better when his promise to tackle NHS waiting lists was the subject of a call from Olivia, a junior doctor from Newcastle. She pulled no punches as she told the PM he was failing the NHS and patients alike with his refusal to cut a pay deal with her union. The PM’s response that it was the doctors who were causing the delays and waiting lists to soar was met with barely concealed scorn. Then it was the turn of Angela from Warrington to ask, on behalf of millions in the country, why people were still arriving illegally in their thousands after he’d promised direct action eight months ago. Now some distance from his fiscal policy safety blanket, the PM was less confident. He talked about taking bold measures and even suggested the Bibby Stockholm floating migrant barge in Dorset will be part of the solution. After I scoffed and told him it was ‘an utter shambles’ as it was days behind in actually being open for business, he refused to budge, insisting ‘it’s an example of me doing something different’. Rishi Sunak on a family holiday in California At the very least, an interesting rationale – but hardly a sound one. Kodak opting not to go into digital cameras along with their competitors some years back was also ‘something different’ – and they were bankrupt a few years later. Without doubt, the Prime Minister is a diligent, hard-working and extremely intelligent individual. However, in the ‘beauty parade’ world of modern politics that is not enough. As Boris Johnson proved, you don’t even need to know the price of a bus fare to triumph in politics, so long as you have that magical cut through. As you read this, Mr Sunak will be in California for that deserved break and he revealed his daughters have persuaded him to take the family to Disneyland. When he returns to the UK, time will be running out before he has to call a general election. He’ll have to be far more prepared to go ‘off script’ if he is to have any hope of a fairytale ending. SUBSCRIBE Invalid email We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info Crackdown on shoplifting is as empty as supermarket shelves A crackdown on shoplifting is supposedly on the way, with some offenders being sent to jail. Shoplifting is at epidemic proportions with one supermarket reporting 1,000 thefts a day. So as we have fewer than 1,000 vacant cells, this pledge seems about as empty as our supermarket shelves. Trending England cricketing great, Stuart Broad, in The Ashes The Hundred is more than a multi-coloured circus No excuses for running a picture of England cricketing great Stuart Broad after the fairytale finish to his career last Monday. With the bat his last stroke was a six, with the ball it was the delivery to defeat Australia and level The Ashes. Regrettably, his brilliance is in stark contrast to the unutterable incompetence of those running cricket in this country. To shoehorn the most keenly fought contest in global sport into June and July so we can endure the hideousness of ‘The Hundred,’ in which professional cricketers are compelled to dress as oversized crisp packets, is verging on criminality. The Ashes is among the greatest shows on Earth. The Hundred is little more than a multi-coloured circus. Strip the ‘British’ out of BBC The BBC has been forced to apologise for labelling the bravery of the Dambusters wartime raid 80 years ago as ‘infamous’. Let’s strip the ‘British’ out of their title, they’re obviously utterly ashamed of it. Let there be sun this Bank Holiday The Met Office has gloomily predicted we’ll be baking in Greek-like summers by the end of the century. Shame they can’t tell us with any degree of confidence what this month’s Bank Holiday is going to be like though.