Sunday 8 May 2022 01:05 AM Public confuse Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves with actress Anjelica Huston trends now

With the western world convulsed by one of the most devastating wars for generations, you might expect the holder of the Defence brief in Her Majesty’s Opposition to be a figure of authority, easily recognised by the British public.

But no. According to a YouGov poll, only 21 per cent of people have ever heard of John Healey. 

In fact, when shown his photograph last week by The Mail on Sunday, some thought he was Vladimir Putin!

And while Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer saw Thursday’s local election results as a ‘massive turning point’ for his party, saying: ‘We’re back on track now for the General Election,’ the public’s general failure to identify his top team suggests Labour faces an uphill struggle.

The results of our admittedly very unscientific exercise in asking people to identify pictures of Starmer and 11 other Shadow Cabinet Ministers are amusing – but may indicate that he has a long way to go before Labour really is ‘on track’ to be the next Government. 

Here are some of the public’s comments when shown a picture of:

Rachel Reeves, Shadow Chancellor

Ann Stanhope, 42, a florist, of Rowley Regis, West Midlands, said: ‘She’s the actress in The Addams Family. Yes, Anjelica Huston.’

Angela Rayner, Labour Deputy Leader

Scaffolder Dil Singh, 32, of Bordesley Green, Birmingham, said: ‘Is she on TV’s Countdown? Angie someone?’

Linda Caldwell, retired, from Glasgow: ‘She looks like the deputy Labour leader but I don’t know her name.’

Holly

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