Swing voter views on hardship ahead of the next election

• There is a visceral power to talking about the issues of deep hardship and harnessing this agenda presents an opportunity for the parties to demonstrate they are listening to and in touch with the real issues people are concerned about. [...] It is clear that, done well, harnessing and addressing the issue of hardship and deep poverty presents the main parties with a major opportunity to build a distinct, emotive and powerful pitch to the electorate, at a time where many feel there is little to distinguish them. [...] Between 2002/03 and the eve of the pandemic (2019/20) the number of people in very deep povertyi increased by 1.8 million to 6.5 million people - or from 8% to 10% of all people.ii Today, the combined effect of this longer-term trend and the most recent crises is leading to eyewatering levels of hardship: in June this year 5.7 million low- income households had to cut down or skip meals because th. [...] So I think, for us to get here, it's, it's gonna take a lot of work, isn't it really to build that trust? And really, the proof is in the pudding isn't really they need to be showing people that not only are they saying these words, and they do understand where the issues is, but it's got to be laid on the table, isn't it, how they're willing to do that and what they're willing to do.” - Bournemou. [...] • There is a visceral power to talking about the issues of deep hardship and harnessing this agenda presents an opportunity for the parties to demonstrate they are listening to and in touch with the real issues people are concerned about – currently neither party is seen to own the issue.