Sunak and Hunt out of touch with working class, say ‘red wall’ voters

Rishi Sunak and Jeremy Hunt repeated that the better off would be made to pay their fair share in the budget. Photograph: Jessica Taylor/AP

Rishi Sunak is “out of touch with reality” and “absolutely not” on the side of the working class, voters in the “red wall” seat of Leigh told the Guardian after the first autumn statement of his premiership.

The prime minister and the chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, spent the days leading up to Thursday claiming those with the broadest shoulders would pay their fair share. Jeremy Hunt repeated the mantra “Britain is a compassionate country”, and pledged to protect the most vulnerable in society amid the worst fall in living standards on record.