Keir Starmer is more unpopular after five months in Downing Street than any other Prime Minister since polling on the question began in the late 1970s, according to the latest survey. The Telegraph has the story.
A survey conducted between November 27th and December 4th found 61% of voters were dissatisfied with Sir Keir’s performance while just 27% were satisfied.
That gave the Prime Minister a net satisfaction score of minus 34.
Ipsos said it was the worst score recorded for a Prime Minister after five months in office in its history, dating back to Margaret Thatcher.
Sir Keir suffered a rocky five months in No 10, which included the freebies scandal, scrapping the winter fuel payment for 10 million pensioners, a Budget that increased taxes by £40 billion and Louise Haigh’s resignation from the Cabinet.
Ipsos said Gordon Brown was the second most unpopular prime minister after five months, with a net satisfaction score of minus 23, recorded in December 2007 after 10 years of a Labour Government at the beginning of the financial crisis.
Rishi Sunak came third with minus 22, which was recorded in March 2023 as he attempted to repair the economy and the Tories’ reputation in the wake of Liz Truss’s chaotic mini-Budget.
Ms. Truss was not included in the Ipsos league table because her tenure in No 10 was too short.
Boris Johnson recorded a score of minus 20 in December 2019 amid ongoing Brexit paralysis before his general election victory with the promise to “get Brexit done”.
Worth reading in full.
Stop Press: Labour has today ruled out compensation for 3.8 million ‘WASPI’ women who claim they lost thousands of pounds because of changes to the state pension age, despite the party previously promising to ‘right the historic wrongs’ while in opposition. The right decision, perhaps – but yet another broken promise that won’t be forgotten by the women who were misled into voting Labour based on a false prospectus. And they wonder why they’re so unpopular.
Here’s Rachel from Accounts making the pledge in 2020.
And Liz Kendall in 2019, the Work and Pensions Minister who made the announcement in Parliament today.
And Keir Starmer himself in 2022.
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