Sir Keir Starmer’s net approval rating has plunged to -32% in the wake of Labour scandals and tax rises – making the Prime Minister seemingly more unpopular than ever.
An Opinium survey recorded a “significant uptick in the number disapproving of his performance” after a month in which farmers protested against “unfair” inheritance tax changes and the PM faced questions over appointing a convicted criminal to his Cabinet.
The poll, covering the period up to the end of November, found that 54% of people disapproved of the Labour leader’s performance in No 10, compared with 22% who approved.
It puts him way behind Kemi Badenoch’s net approval rating of -6%, although Sir Keir still has a 5% lead over the Tory leader when it comes to who voters think would make the best PM.
On that question, he leads Mrs Badenoch by 23% to 18% – although people who said “don’t know” and “none of them” outscore both leaders, with 20% and 39% respectively.
Sir Keir has faced a backlash over a string of controversial decisions since Labour took office.
The Government’s decision to remove the universal £300 winter fuel payment from most pensioners has been described as “cruel,” especially given rising energy bills are putting many elderly people on the brink.
Farmers including Jeremy Clarkson also marched on Westminster in opposition to Budget plans to restrict the 100% relief on inheritance tax to the first £1million of agricultural land and property.
At the same time, Labour’s Downing Street operation has been criticised as chaotic, with chief of staff Sue Gray leaving in an apparent power struggle just months into Labour’s term in office.
Sir Keir was also roundly criticised for accepting freebies, including thousands of pounds of clothing and multiple pairs of glasses from millionaire Labour donor Lord Waheed Alli.
The Prime Minister now faces pressure after Louise Haigh quit as transport secretary on Friday following revelations that she was convicted of misleading police about a stolen phone before she became an MP.
She had told Sir Keir of her conviction on joining his frontbench team in opposition, raising eyebrows as to why he appointed her.
The Labour leader will try to put his turbulent start behind him this week and reset his administration with a speech dubbed a “plan for change”.
It is being seen by many as an admission that the Government has failed to get its message across.
A veteran Labour backbencher said: “It obviously is an attempt to reset. And that’s what it’s got to be, because the Labour Party is getting off to a disastrous start.”
Sir Keir said: “This plan for change is the most ambitious yet honest programme for government in a generation.
“Mission-led government does not mean picking milestones because they are easy or will happen anyway. It means relentlessly driving real improvements in the lives of working people.”
