The more he engages with people from the City, the more he feels comfortable with the vocabulary and the issues, a department head at an investment bank said. His party trails Labour by more than 20 points in the polls. Politics. The DUP is divided about how to respond, and enjoys the feeling of having Sunaks future in its hands. The Socialist Campaign Group of MPs did not have the numbers to trigger a leadership election, let alone a candidate; Rayner had been one of theirs but she had compromised with the ideological enemy in the party. "The Labour leader has taken a significant fall across all metrics in the last two weeks, particularly being a strong leader, looking like a prime minister in waiting, and being able to get things done. Last modified on Thu 2 Mar 2023 08.43 EST. At the same time, the Governments net competency rating is up in both the Red Wall and the Blue Wall, by three points to -35% in the Red Wall and by two points to -36% in the Blue Wall, respectively. But his handling of the Northern Ireland protocol changes this week suggests a leader with more in the tank than critics have allowed. Amid all that, Sunak didnt cower in the bunker. Each pollster uses the following wording for this question: Some pollsters conduct surveys to compare figures who are not both party leaders. But Levys comeback is not free of controversy. That has included reneging on his commitment to take back into public ownership key utilities, including gas and electricity. Even as Labour drew level in voting intention polls in November, Starmer limped behind Johnson in the preferred prime minister polling. The Labour leader said he is glad the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) is taking time to consider . An Opinium poll sees the Labour leader struggling to make headway against a PM whose handling of the pandemic has gained approval. For most of the year, as the government enjoyed the protection against the illness of unpopularity afforded by a successful vaccination programme, it looked as if the forward march of Labour had halted. It wasnt just the Corbynites who were disillusioned with Starmer despairing Blairites who supported him confided sadly that they didnt think he was up to the job, and that the best the party could hope for was that he would be a transitional leader of the kind that Neil Kinnock had been. Labour are on 36% of the vote, with the Tories up one point on 34%. Boris Johnson's opinion poll lead over Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer as the "best prime minister" for the UK evaporated on Monday, as Downing Street tried to stop the fuel crisis descending . With such a worldview, he is beholden to the City, not ordinary people. Conservative government loom big in voters' minds. Blairs most important fundraiser during his premiership Michael Levy once referred to as Lord Cashpoint also has a role in tapping up wealthy donors. February was another good month of polling for the Labour Party and Keir Starmer, who ended January holding a 21% lead over the Conservatives. Its much less normalized compared to the U.S. and there are much bigger negatives to it in the U.K. aside from the pragmatic arguments. Blair and others involved have always claimed there was no connection between the two events. Indeed, Labours biggest backer, the union Unite, has reduced its contributions to the party in retaliation for Starmers efforts to shift away from the socialist policies of Corbyn. The opinion polls have turned in the Labour leader's favour - vindicating his 'strategic patience'. 2. The following polls asked about voters' opinions on Keir Starmer, leader of the Labour Party and Leader of the Opposition since April 2020. February was another good month of polling for the Labour Party and Keir Starmer, who ended January holding a 21% lead over the Conservatives. Now all the polls are reporting not just that Labour is in the lead but that people would rather have Starmer as prime minister than the incumbent. . It was the year of three prime ministers and four chancellors. In a nationally representative poll taken August 26th to 29th, Keir Starmer leads Liz Truss by 10 points or more on: And also by 11 points for each of paying attention to detail (41% to 30%), being a capable leader (38% to 27%) and they are going to make the country a better place (35% to 24%). It also reveals that Starmers party holds a narrow two-point lead, compared with a three-point lead in the last poll a fortnight ago. GBNEWS. If Blairites are now on the rise once again in the Labour Party, what about the man himself? Labour also still hold a lead of 10 points over the Conservatives in terms of overall voting intentions, broadly in line with our figures for June and likely to see the Labour party win a majority if an election were tomorrow.. The Partygate investigator Sue Gray is a likely candidate to be Keir Starmer's chief of staff, as the Labour leader searches for a veteran civil . Public opinion. While Starmer is seen as more austere, he has embraced the former PMs party financing strategy. While 50% of voters in Britain still see the Government Sunak leads as incompetent, the Governments net competency rating is only marginally lower now than it was in late January (down one point to -34%). Updated on 2 March 2023 at 8:00. Starmer has transplanted many of Blairs favorite donor point-people into his close circle to build a powerhouse fundraising team. Boris Johnson makes a better prime minister than Keir Starmer would despite Partygate, the cost of living crisis and the confidence vote in Johnson held by his MPs . Boris Johnson has been greedily eyeing a return. Now that would shock people.. The Labour Party has a 29 point poll lead over the Tories, according to a new survey which has provided a fresh boost to Sir Keir Starmer. Even in the lowest months of the summer, there was no serious talk of a leadership challenge. For Sunak personally, his approval rating, despite some fluctuations, ends February more or less where it was at the end of January. Boris Johnson makes a better prime minister than Keir Starmer would despite Partygate, the cost of living crisis and the confidence vote in Johnson held by his MPs, according to the latest Observer poll. And she heads a Conservative Party barely able to conceal its disarray after such a long spell in government, just as Britain is about to lunge from an energy and cost-of-living crisis into full-blown recession. In addition to leading a party with a commanding position in our voting intention polls, Starmer himself holds healthy approval ratings in all our tracker polls. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Keir Starmers looking to the past and talking up a business role in the future in drive to fill party coffers. Angela Rayner, the Labour deputy leader, also suggested that Starmer looks too much like a lawyer in public appearances and should put some more welly into his speeches. Levys return to the fold has also provided a big boost to Labours fundraising clout. Although his net approval fell to -22% nationally on 18 February, his lowest ever, he ends the month having gained a marginal point from his January rating in both the Red Wall and in Great Britain (up to -17% in both). The politicians listed below include: The following polls have asked people which leader they think would better handle the COVID-19 pandemic. Rishi Sunak today accused Sir Keir Starmer of "typical political posturing" in a fiery PMQs session. Recent polls also suggest the party has a clear double-digit lead in the 23 June byelection in Wakefield, the type of seat it will need to win back if it hopes to win a majority or form the government at the next election. Collapse. Collapse. Rishi Sunak is shaping up to be a prime minister Keir Starmer should be wary of,Sunak's handling of the NI protocol suggests a leader - and a Tory party - with more left in the tank than some think, says Guardian columnist Martin Kettle All rights reserved. But among Labour voters, 65% were in favour, and 18% opposed. It is a dramatic capitulation for a party in opposition that grew out of the activities of the trade union movement and still affirms on its website that its affiliation with leading unions is what makes [Labour] unique. The latest news, data and analysis on the worlds pandemic response. In GB as a whole, the Governments net approval rating for its handling of these three issues now sits at -35% (down four points from late January), -49% (-7), and -39% (-3) respectively. For similar reasons, the Enough is Enough movement has recently emerged, demanding pay rises for workers and higher taxes for the rich. For Keir Starmer, things look much rosier. The following polls asked about voters' opinions on Keir Starmer, leader of the Labour Party and Leader of the Opposition since April 2020. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer is trailing Boris Johnson as the British public's preferred prime minister by 17 percentage points, according to a new poll. Some 55% of people polled said they were dissatisfied with the Prime Minister, compared to 49% in December. Theres no complacency but we remain confident of the strategy we have to get Keir to No 10., Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. On the eve of his big speech, Keir Starmer showed his frustration at being constantly compared with two of his predecessors - Jeremy Corbyn and Tony Blair - and declined to say to which of them he was closer. Sir Keir Starmer - Labour Party Leader. It is a dramatic capitulation for a party in opposition that grew out of the activities of the trade union movement. Jeremy Corbyn approval rating . The Labour leaders promises to team up with business may unsettle some on the left of his party, who are already worried about Starmers increasingly cosy relationship with the City. Sunaks handling of the NI protocol suggests a leader and a Tory party with more left in the tank than some think. But the signs are that there will be little enthusiasm for a Labour Party led by him as a replacement. While 28% think Johnson would make the best prime minister, 26% opted for Starmer. Left-wing Labour MP Diane Abbott said Starmer seems to be reverting to the worst practices of New Labour., What business will want, because theyre giving us all this money, is theyll want results, she said. Nevertheless, this week highlighted some early if incomplete signs that Sunak is starting to change the Tory party. Starmer may scrape a win at the next general election, against an internally divided Conservative governing party only too obviously divorced from the concerns of much of the electorate. Labour is up 5-points on last week, perhaps suggesting a bounce after the autumn statement, although it is too early to know. At a time of major problems in the NHSfrom backlogged waiting lists, to strikes by ambulance drivers, nurses and junior doctorsdominating many voters thoughts, voters in the Blue Wall (30%), the Red Wall (36%), and the country at large (44%) all notably select the NHS/Healthcare as the issue they most trust his party to deliver on. Too soon for that. He has not dared to seize the initiative as workers pay falls well behind rocketing inflation. Overall, 57% of all voters support this, rising to 78% of Rishi Sunaks own voters. Andrew Fisher, Corbyns former director of policy, said Starmers preference for private donations may backfire. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player. The king played his symbolic role. Gray, currently in a top job in the Cabinet Office, was tasked with investigating multiple reports of lockdown rule . Even some Tory rebels were baffled by Starmers performance, saying it had helped Johnson regain some stability after the confidence vote. Its leader, Sharon Graham, has said of union funding for Labour: Im not sure were getting the best value for it.. Adam Drummond, Opinium's head of political polling, said: "Keir Starmer's ratings have taken a tumble as Labour voters begin to fear that he isn't the one to lead the party back to power. After three years of near-destitution brought on by COVID-19, falling membership numbers and reduced union funding the party is now beginning to look cashed-up. He also had the shameless Johnson and the Faragiste Tory press bursting to make trouble. Alli, reportedly worth upward of 100 million, is plugged into to Londons arts, media and business sets. Starmers office had not responded before publication of this article to a request for comment from Middle East Eye. Labour holds large leads over the Conservatives in each of our three tracker polls as the party most trusted on the economy, the NHS, and immigration. The survey by GB News, sees Labour on 47% of the national vote, the Conservative Party on 21%, the Liberal Democrats on 10%, the Greens on 7% and Reform on 6%. Polling for Ipsos MORI showed the Tories taking the lead in front of Labour again amid a vaccine bou Woman with cerebral palsy jailed after waving 77-year-old cyclist i Sadiq Khan sparks outrage after branding Britons' concerns about Ul Andrew Tate says he's 'seriously ill' as he seeks permission to lea Hunt set for last minute change to energy price cap which will save Britons hundreds of pounds. His job approval rating is bumping along at -26. In recent months, trade unions have threatened to make further cuts to their funding, too. Through his public positioning, he has legitimised the rights discourse that left-wing politics is inherently subversive, unpatriotic and treasonous. As people increasingly see through Johnsons bluster and feel the impact of his lack of decisions, weve created space to show that Keir is the serious politician needed for post-pandemic Britain., To keep up to speed with all the latest opinions and comment sign up to our free weekly Voices newsletter by clicking here. The DUP was not allowed to hijack the launch and mobilise the European Research Group. March 2, 2023. in News. Commenting, Prof. Matt Goodwin added: Amid a mass exodus from the Labour market, and millions of people now taking out-of-work benefits in various forms, this polling clearly points to public support for helping people who are on benefits back into the workplace. Latest news, analysis and comment on elections in Europe and beyond. Meanwhile, he has differentiated Labour simply by eschewing the more indefensible forms of predatory capitalism the current Conservative leadership embraces. Sunak also gets to choose the election date. BMG are members of the British Polling Council and abide by their rules. He urged those in the session to make sure that as we go into that election and hopefully the other side of that election, we are saying the right thing in the right way about what we can achieve.. Approval for the government's handling of the pandemic is at its highest since mid-April last year, with 47% of adults happy and 33% disapproving. His dullness became steadiness; his earnestness became a serious leader for serious times. neutral role in the civil service would come at a time when Labour holds a strong lead over the ruling Conservatives in opinion polls and as Starmer sets out his vision and policy priorities for Britain ahead of a . The get together was reeling from its worst efficiency on the poll field since 1935, riven by inner divisions, below hearth over its report of tackling antisemitism and going through an seemingly unassailable Boris Johnson atop an 80-seat majority. 10. Neither Labour or the Cabinet Office denied a report by Sky News' that the Labour leader who current polls suggest could . Hopes for that encounter had been high following the confidence vote held by Tory MPs over Johnsons leadership, a move that left the prime minister deeply wounded with 148 voting against him. Rishi Sunak is shaping up to be a prime minister Keir Starmer should be wary of. Only 17% say a Conservative government with Rishi Sunak as prime minister. The protocol deal has not yet been approved. Latest UK Opinion Polls: Government approval recent changes. Labour extended its lead nationally to 27%, the widest margin it has held since Sunak became PM in October, while also opening up a lead of 28% in the Red Wall (another record lead . So will his left-wing opponents, and mainstream MPs who . The rail strikes are the biggest in decades. Middle East Eye. Latest news, analysis and comment on French politics and beyond. Some Blairites believe Labours most electorally successful leader must be officially welcomed back into the tent to show the public how serious the party is about winning. A backlash is coming. Dominic Raab's popularity falls to -57 amid bullying inquiry . A return to power-sharing at Stormont, with the DUP playing second fiddle to Sinn Fin, is a long way off. Blair and some of his allies were caricatured as never being happier than when rubbing shoulders with Britains rich and powerful. The Leader of the Opposition leads by ten points or more on being in touch with ordinary people (39% to 20%), they understand the problems facing Britain (50% to 37%), they are an . The big winner in all this, however, is disillusionment. Keir Starmer has been urged to intervene in the selection process for a Labour target "red wall" seat, after a leading candidate who had the support of eight trade unions was blocked from . Under the British systems two-horse race, he reckoned he needed to do no more than position himself as the least bad option. Leadership approval ratings Rishi . How Sir Keir Starmer's Labour would run a government From 'wealth' taxes to net zero, this is how the would-be PM may act should his party's huge opinion poll lead see them through an election Well, Starmer saw Boris off, and his successor Liz Truss - and Labour have had an opinion poll lead for the last 474 days. Most voters in Britain dont have Europe or Northern Ireland on their minds anyway. He was previously Director of Public Prosecutions from 2008 to 2013.. Starmer was born in London and raised in Surrey, where he . Keir Starmers wait-it-out approach may finally be beginning to pay dividends, two and a half years after he was elected Labour leader. However, many within Labours ranks found Starmers performance to be flat and criticised his line of questioning. Enough is Enough unequivocally denounces a heartless establishment that, it implies, includes Starmer himself. The following polls asked about voters' opinions on Ed Davey, leader of the Liberal Democrats since August 2020. Opinion polls show Labour with an average 8% lead over the Conservatives. New polling, conducted by Ipsos between 3rd-5th February, shows the public are more likely to apply several leadership traits to Keir Starmer than Rishi Sunak. But other Starmer allies dismissed the findings, claiming it was difficult to draw . One Labour MP described Alli as absolutely lovely and very persuasive. Referring to his status as one of the worlds only openly gay Muslim politicians, they added: You should never underestimate someone from his background who has fought that hard for LGBT rights.. A by-election caused by Ms Cooper's decision would be the first major electoral test for Liz Truss since she entered No10. But a third of those 2019 Labour voters now want Sir Keir to resign as party leader after mixed results in last week's elections - including a previously unthinkable by-election defeat in the traditionally safe seat of Hartlepool. All Time Today Last Week Last Month.