Voters could be forgiven for feeling a sense of déjà vu as the election campaign continues this week amid a flurry of campaign slogans from politicians.
From Sir Keir Starmer‘s toolmaking father to Rishi Sunak‘s pharmacist mother, the leaders of the UK’s political parties appear to be operating from a bingo-style scorecard as they repeat the same phrases over and over in a bid to get their message across.
The Labour leader has now told Britons ‘my dad was a toolmaker’ so many times that it earned a laugh during his appearance on the Sky News Battle For Number Ten programme last night.
But the Prime Minister fares little better: he has recited his line about his father being a GP and his mother being a pharmacist to the point he could probably say it in his sleep.
As Britain prepares to go to the polls next month, takes a look at all the phrases on the electoral bingo phrases voters can expect to hear for the next three weeks.
As Britain prepares to go to the polls next month, takes a look at all the phrases on the electoral bingo voters can expect to hear for the next three weeks.
My dad was a toolmaker
It’s one of the most-used phrases by the Labour leader, and one that seeks to hammer home Starmer’s argument that he understands working people.
He has repeatedly told the British public that his father Rodney – known as Rod – worked in a factory, making tools, and that he understands what it is like to struggle from paycheck to paycheck.
It’s something he’s mentioned during the debate with Rishi Sunak on ITV last week, during last night’s Sky News interview, and throughout his appearances on the campaign trail.
It’s usually swiftly followed by the Labour leader adding his mother was a nurse, and his wife works in the NHS.
The phrase is now so well-known that it’s even taken the internet meme community by storm, with Gen Zers joking: ‘Hey, did YOU know Keir Starmer’s dad was a toolmaker?’
When talking about his background, Starmer is keen to stress his working-class roots and has often talked about how his family’s phone was cut off ‘for months at a time’ as they struggled for money.
Sir Keir brought his childhood up at the ITV debate, telling the audience: ‘My dad worked in a factory, he was a toolmaker. My mum was a nurse, we didn’t have a lot of money when I was growing up but we were in a position on occasion where we couldn’t pay our bills so I know how that feels.’
My mum was a pharmacist
Starmer is not the only leader to rely on his parents to appear relatable – the Prime Minister has also endlessly told the public how his parents had relatively normal jobs.
‘My dad was a GP, my mum was a pharmacist’: Sunak has often trotted out this line when he has been accused of being ‘out of touch’.
He has struggled to appear as if he truly understands the hardship many members of the public have felt amid the cost of living crisis and rampant inflation over the past few years, with his critics often reminding voters he is wealthier than the King.
Sunak has countered the allegations by reminding voters his grandparents arrived in the UK with relatively little, and within two generations he has become Prime Minister.
He has highlighted his parents’ professions in a bid to show that hard work pays off – although marrying a heiress must also help.
The NHS is in my DNA
The Labour leader has been keen to reassure the public that the NHS is in safe hands with his party amid soaring waiting lists, long wait times and a shortage of GP appointments.
‘The NHS is in my DNA,’ is a mantra he’s telling voters, adding his wife works in the NHS and his mother was also a nurse.
He previously told voters on the campaign trail he is passionate about protecting the NHS and bringing down waiting lists.
Starmer has drawn on his own experiences after his mother fell ill at a young age. Speaking in March, Sir Keir, 61, said his father was ‘totally committed’ to looking after his mother and ‘put her above everything else’.
Asked in the first head-to-head debate with Rishi Sunak last week if he would use private healthcare if a loved one was waiting for treatment, Starmer gave an unequivocal no, adding the well-used catchphrase for good measure.
Sunak, meanwhile, said he would.
A snap poll after last night’s debate found that 70 percent of the public trust Starmer more on the NHS, versus just 27 percent for Sunak.
The Labour leader’s wife, Victoria, works at a hospital in London. Starmer revealed last night she didn’t want him to go into politics, but he felt drawn to ‘public service’.
We’ve turned a corner
Faced with polling showing the Conservatives up to 25 points behind Labour, the Prime Minister has been trying to convince hard-up voters that his leadership has seen the country through the worst of the last few years.
From singing the praises of the furlough scheme during the pandemic to falling inflation figures, Sunak says that ‘the plan is working’.
In almost every appearance he’s made in the past few weeks, the PM has reiterated the country has ‘turned a corner’ and argued that while things look to be starting to get better in the economy under his leadership, the public risks the unknown with Labour.
His argument though is set to get tougher after GDP figures this week showed the economy grinding to a halt – and a snap poll after last night’s show highlighted more of the public trust Starmer on the economy than Sunak.
He is also haunted by his claim that he can understand and relate to struggling Britons because he didn’t have Sky TV growing up – comments he made in an ITV interview filmed shortly after his early return from D-Day comemmorations.
Tory chaos
From the disastrous mini-budget of Liz Truss’ doomed premiership to the disposal of Boris Johnson as Prime Minister, ‘Tory chaos’ are the buzzwords of the day for Starmer and his team.
The phrase is mentioned at least several times in every media appearance by Starmer or any of the shadow cabinet.
The Labour leader used his very first address of the campaign to pledge to ‘stop the chaos’ as he responded to Sunak’s sudden calling of the election.
Posting on social media last week, Sir Keir said: ‘People are fed up with 14 years of Tory chaos and are looking towards Labour for the first time.
‘The power to change our country is in your hands. We can stop the chaos, turn the page, and start to rebuild Britain – together.’
His deputy Angela Rayner has also been pushing the same narrative. While campaigning in Macclesfield on Monday, she told voters it is ‘time to turn the page on 14 years of Tory chaos’.
It’s a difficult attack line for the Tories to shake – but they are arguing Labour in power could take the country ‘back to square one’.
Don’t give Labour a blank cheque
The Conservatives have this week been striking a different tone in their campaigning, which could signal even the party’s bigwigs are beginning to see defeat as inevitable.
A key tenet of the campaign has turned away from how a Tory win would change the country, and towards ensuring a total wipeout is avoided.
Grant Shapps was the latest minister to appear on voters’ TVs last night as he told them: ‘Don’t give Labour a blank cheque’.
Echoing the words of his leader, he asked the public to come out for the Conservatives on July 4, arguing more MPs from the party would ensure more scrutiny for a Labour government.
The line continues Sunak’s assertions that while the current government has a track-record of policy, Labour represents a comparative unknown.
Lord David Cameron, appearing on the broadcast round this morning, was under pressure to defend his remarks – but did not explicitly deny that the Conservatives are resigned to losing.
When I was Director of Public Prosecutions
The Labour leader has mentioned his background as a lawyer possibly more times than his father’s job as a toolmaker.
He has sought to draw a clear line between his own background as a barrister turned prosecutor who previously led the CPS, and Rishi Sunak’s career as an investment banker.
Starmer has argued he is on the side of working people and has worked hard to lock up criminals while Sunak was amassing wealth.
Starting his anecdotes with ‘When I was Director of Public Prosecutions’, the lawyer has shared various examples of cases he oversaw, including violent criminals and terrorists.
The issue for Starmer is whether voters switch off before he gets to the point – while Sunak struggles to dodge accusations his own career is mired in controversy over the 2008 financial crisis.
I’m pumped
Rishi Sunak’s latest attempt to show he is down with the kids comes in the form of his battle cry: ‘I’m pumped!’
Whenever he is asked about an upcoming debate, interview or campaign trail stop, the Prime Minister is keen to portray himself as energised and up for the challenge.
On his way to Grimsby on Wednesday, where he took place in a special Sky News programme called Battle For Number Ten, he told journalists: ‘I’m always pumped’.
But the bingo catchphrase may be more literal than many realise. Sunak yesterday admitted he is getting through a mountain of Twix bars and Haribo during the campaign.
He told reporters: ‘I’m fuelled by an enormous amount of sugar.’