‘If voters aren’t better off by the next election, we’re screwed’: Labour insiders voice fears over budget

Andy Burnham set out a big vision at conference, but some Labour figures fear ‘low-key’ budget could underwhelm voters. Photograph: Zeynep Demir Aslim/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock

In the days since Labour’s annual conference, party insiders have been sharing a word cloud produced by the pollsters More in Common, which shows the phrases voters most associate with Andy Burnham.

Such polling is rarely flattering for politicians, and the prime minister’s version had its fair share of negatives. But one of the most prominent words in the cloud – and the one that has caught the imagination of Labour strategists – was “trying”.