Political Observer: The Times never surprises!
Jul 27, 2025
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May 16 2025
Headline: Keir Starmer’s popularity sinks to record low in poll
Sub-headline: Drop is most acute among Labour voters in a sign that PM’s attempts to woo Reform supporters may be backfiring
https://www.ft.com/content/659406e7-552c-4e10-83a0-0adebb5ad838
Sir Keir Starmer’s popularity has slumped to its lowest level on record with the fall most acute among Labour voters, according to YouGov research that will stoke concerns in Downing Street.
The proportion of Labour voters with a favourable view of the UK prime minister has plunged from 62 per cent to 45 per cent in just one month, the polling company found. It is the first time that Starmer has recorded a net negative approval rating among Labour supporters.
Some Labour MPs fear that Starmer’s shift to the right on several policy issues, in an attempt to neutralise the threat from Reform UK, has alienated many of the party’s natural supporters.
The Labour government has announced deep cuts to the international aid budget, set out tough reforms to the welfare system and this week announced new restrictions on immigration.
A speech by Starmer on Monday was criticised by some Labour MPs who suggested his reference to Britain’s risk of becoming an “island of strangers” accidentally echoed language used by Enoch Powell in his controversial 1968 “rivers of blood” address.
More than 100 Labour MPs have signed a private letter to their chief whip calling for tweaks to the welfare reforms, in a sign of jitters inside the Parliamentary Labour party.
…
Across all voters surveyed by YouGov in May, just 23 per cent of Britons expressed a favourable view of Starmer, marking a five-point drop from the same time in April.
That takes his popularity back to its previous nadir of July 2021 when he was opposition leader and the then Tory prime minister Boris Johnson was enjoying a “vaccine bounce” during the Covid-19 pandemic.
With the proportion of people with an unfavourable opinion of Starmer rising from 62 per cent in April to 69 per cent today, Starmer’s net favourability rating has sunk to -46, the lowest ever recorded by YouGov.
The same polling showed that the public view of Farage has ticked up from 27 per cent to 32 per cent in a month, even if 59 per cent of voters still do not like him, reflecting a net favourability rating of -27.
Farage is slightly more popular among Tory voters than the party’s leader Kemi Badenoch, YouGov suggests. Overall 16 per cent of the public have a favourable opinion of her, while 55 per cent hold an unfavourable view, giving a net score of -39.
https://www.ft.com/content/659406e7-552c-4e10-83a0-0adebb5ad838
Editor: The Reader just has to wonder at the Times attack on Corbyn, as Starmers numbers appear to be sinking, as reported in the The Financial Times of May 16 2025 !
Wednesday July 23 2025,
Headline: Keir Starmer approval rating: tracking the PM’s popularity
Sub-headline: One year into office, the Labour prime minister has seen his approval ratings collapse. Follow the latest opinion polls with our live tracker
https://www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/article/keir-starmer-approval-rating-live-tracker-bl2rj82tx
Political Observer.
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