Opinion Rishi Sunak. "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. Starmer and Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves have met hundreds of executives over the past year in what has been called the salmon and scrambled eggs offensive a riff on Blair and his own Chancellor Gordon Browns so-called prawn cocktail offensive of the 1990s. Combined with his purges of the Labour left, including Corbyn, using antisemitism as the pretext, Starmer has hollowed out left-wing politics in the UK of any substance. But allow some credit where it is due to Sunak. He also had the shameless Johnson and the Faragiste Tory press bursting to make trouble. Instead, he has focused on reassuring voters - and the billionaire-owned media - that his party embodies the values associated with old-school conservatism: responsible belt-tightening, support for business, patriotism, law and order, the monarchy and militarism. Much as I detest Starmer and the current Labour Party he will likely win back the ugly racist Brexit gammons who voted Tory or Farage last election, he won't loose safe seats like mine, and he won't care if a few of the more comfortable and liberal Tory seats flip Lib Dem. Sunak also gets to choose the election date. In late June, he formally ditched those promises, saying Labour would be starting from scratch. 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. 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 . Only 17% say a Conservative government with Rishi Sunak as prime minister. GBNEWS. politics . Its serious people making a serious contribution to leveling the playing field with the Conservatives, they said. 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. He is also said to regularly chat with Starmer about the job of opposition leader and what to expect if he enters No. His team say Starmers main task has been repairing the partys internal workings after the strife during Jeremy Corbyns leadership. Starmers reluctance to criticise Big Business or show solidarity with workers has shifted political ground in the UK even further to the right. A poll released on the Monday of conference put Labour 17 points . 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. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Ursula von der Leyen, the European commission president, was well briefed. Sorting the protocol was a sensible bit of ground-clearing and confidence-building. Rishi Sunak during prime ministers questions on Wednesday. Keir Starmer was rewarded for his strategic patience, according to an ally, when just as the year ended, he took a clear lead over Boris Johnson as the leader people would prefer to have as prime minister. War in Ukraine overturned the political landscape. Alli, reportedly worth upward of 100 million, is plugged into to Londons arts, media and business sets. After languishing stubbornly behind the government in surveys since his election to head Labour in early 2020, Starmer is now reported to have a seven-point lead over the Tories new leader, Liz Truss, when the public is asked who would do a better job as prime minister. Poll says 56% of people think . But he has gone further, accepting neoliberal orthodoxy that concessions to workers hinder business and damage economic activity. . The date range for opinion polls is from the 2019 United Kingdom general election, held on 12 December, to the present day. On the proposal to reduce the threshold at which people pay the highest rate of tax from 150,000 to 125,140, the poll found that 50% of adults support this measure while 13% are opposed. Advocacy group the Labour Muslim Network (LMN . Gray, currently in a top job in the Cabinet Office, was tasked with investigating multiple reports of lockdown rule . Latest news, analysis and comment on German politics and beyond. Dominic Raab's popularity falls to -57 amid bullying inquiry . For many, he is also indelibly linked to other New Labour cash scandals, including a rowover a watered-down advertising banfor Formula 1 just after F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone gave millions to the party. With such a worldview, he is beholden to the City, not ordinary people. Latest news, analysis and comment on migration in Europe and beyond. Changes of this kind are not like electoral on-off switches. 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 . LONDON Keir Starmer is reportedly considering hiring Sue Gray, the senior civil servant who investigated pandemic rule-busting parties in Boris Johnson's government, as his chief of staff. Ipsos publishes the latest results of UK opinion polls and voting intention. Jeremy Corbyn approval rating . LONDON Labour leader Keir Starmer has chosen Sue Gray, the senior civil servant who investigated pandemic rule-busting parties in Boris Johnson's government, as his chief of staff. The head of the opposition has resolutely avoided offering any kind of vision for Britain, fearful it might be construed as vaguely socialist, and has even been averse to robustly challenging the ruling Tory party. Keir Starmer faced a grilling from students during a visit to St. Columb's College on Friday. To top it all, Trusss government has vowed to let the energy sector continue raking in inflated profits rather than impose a crowd-pleasing windfall tax. Leader of the British Labour Party, Keir Starmer, says that if nothing changes, Great Britain's GDP per capita would be lower than that of Poland in 7 years, and that of Hungary and Romania in 17 years. During the Hartlepool campaign, when opinion polls made clear Labour was going to lose, he was reported by The Times (earlier this month) to have shouted to his team: Everyone hates us, everyone hates us, why do they hate us? Starmer has sacked one shadow minister, Sam Tarry, the partner of Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner, after Tarry declared that every worker should get a pay rise in line with inflation. A source in the leaders office told me that, with Keir, the Labour Party has the strongest message discipline weve had in years. Political Monitor. 61 per cent want 'completely new type of political . People can see Starmer as a prime minister, and a reputation for competence is a priceless asset: those two things mean that Labours forward march has resumed. The politicians listed below include: The following polls have asked people which leader they think would better handle the COVID-19 pandemic. 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. Prof Goodwin said: Keir Starmers Labour Party continues to hold a strong lead when it comes to managing the economy, which is also the most important issue for voters. And, in a further nod to the business-friendly "New Labour" days of the 1990s and 2000s, he's even tapping Tony Blair's moneymen to fund his bid for power. Amid all that, Sunak didnt cower in the bunker. When asked who is best to manage the economy in the years ahead, 30% say a Labour government with Sir Keir Starmer as Prime Minister. But other Starmer allies dismissed the findings, claiming it was difficult to draw . But his U-turn looks all the more foolhardy given the current energy crisis and the Tory governments massive bailouts of suppliers. First, it has suggested that Sunak is capable of rebuilding at least some of the reputation for Conservative competence. In many ways this looks rather like 1996 with Blair and Brown promising Tory-like spending controls and picking fights with the left of the party. Its leader, Sharon Graham, has said of union funding for Labour: Im not sure were getting the best value for it.. It also helps that Starmer is the first Labour leader since Blair to do it himself he actually seems to enjoy fundraising.. Rather than proposing investment, as previous Labour leaders have done, he has preferred to turn the tables on the Tories, accusing them ofrelying on a magic money tree. Yet Keir Starmer's 'mission statement' last week managed something that nearly all speeches from those in his job - including most of his own - fail to achieve: broadly favourable and widespread coverage of his core message that Labour is a government . The leader of the Labour Party Keir Starmer says that under the current rate, the average British family will be poorer than the average Polish family by 2030Parliament TV He has blamed ballooning debt from the Covid-19 pandemic as the reason. Even some Tory rebels were baffled by Starmers performance, saying it had helped Johnson regain some stability after the confidence vote. Voices Keir Starmer can afford to be polite to Liz Truss for one key reason - he knows he is winning. The following polls asked about voters' opinions on Liz Truss, leader of the Conservative Party and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 6 September 2022 and until 25 October 2022. These could include a comparison of leading politicians within the same party (to gauge support for future leadership contests), or compare the current leader of one party to an alternative leader of a second. By logging in, you confirm acceptance of ourPOLITICO Privacy Policy. Posts; Latest Activity; Photos . Keir Starmers wait-it-out approach may finally be beginning to pay dividends, two and a half years after he was elected Labour leader. Shadow Cabinet ministers have been urged to attend as many dinners with prospective donors as possible, with the leaders office sometimes pairing ministers with wealthy individuals. burden of repaying the 150bn ($170bn) costs, Starmer has hollowed out left-wing politics in the UK, Palestinian and socialist groups further sidelined as Labour email comes to light, UK: Oxford students report racial profiling at event hosting Israeli ambassador. Plaid Cymru call on Mark Drakeford to sack health minister after damning health board report, Sir Keir Starmer defends appointing partygate investigator Sue Gray as chief of staff, Johnson allies claim partygate was 'a Labour stitch up' after Starmer appoints Sue Gray to top role. . The fact weve climbed out of the hole we were in was never a given. Keir Starmer, the leader of Britain's opposition Labour Party, has picked senior civil servant Sue Gray as his new chief of staff, Sky News reported on Thursday, as the party prepares for a national election next year. Keir Starmer is finally ahead in the polls but at what cost? The job of being Leader of the Opposition is, famously, the most thankless available in British politics. Which will be only too evident as he addresses Labours annual conference next week. This is especially true for Labour voters, more than half of whom blame Truss (44%) or Sunak (10%) for the current crisis while only 11% blame global events. But its all part of a major play by the opposition to woo firms, while key moneymen from the Blair era are being tasked up with filling the partys coffers once again. Starmer has differentiated Labour simply by eschewing the more indefensible forms of predatory capitalism the current Conservative leadership embraces. He has lots of experience. but more one-sided than a North Korean election held at gunpoint. Like the Tories, Starmer sees the economy in terms of a battle between the incompatible demands of employers - the state and big business - on one side, and workers on the other. Focaldata found that Starmer is regarded as more trustworthy than Johnson, better equipped to make tough decisions and more competent. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. Sir Keir's office declined to comment, saying it did not offer 'running commentaries' on opinion polls. The following polls asked about voters' opinions on Sin Berry and Jonathan Bartley, co-leaders of the Green Party from 4 September 2018 to 31 July 2021. Robert Struthers of BMG told i: Keir Starmer will have been hoping for a polling bounce following his big announcement on freezing energy bills to tackle the energy crisis at the beginning of this week. And Ipsos MORI has Starmer 13 points ahead, while other pollsters also show him outperforming his party. 2021 Associated Newspapers Limited. Date(s) 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. For years, we shocked people with Corbyn as leader in the worst way possible and we now need to shock them in positive ways, the shadow Cabinet minister quoted earlier said. It is still more likely that Sunak will oversee the end of a long period of Conservative government than its renewal. As popular anger mounts, Starmers lack of vision for a sustainable future risks plunging parliamentary politics into even deeper crisis. 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. Nobody wants to see industrial action that is disruptive.. Approval ratings for former party leaders, Preferred Prime Minister and Chancellor polling, Question asked for joint approval of Ed Davey & Mark Pack, Opinion polling for the next United Kingdom general election, Opinion polling on the United Kingdom rejoining the European Union (2020present), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Leadership_approval_opinion_polling_for_the_next_United_Kingdom_general_election&oldid=1141047708, Leadership approval opinion polling for United Kingdom general elections, Short description with empty Wikidata description, Wikipedia articles in need of updating from November 2022, All Wikipedia articles in need of updating, Wikipedia articles in need of updating from January 2022, Wikipedia articles in need of updating from October 2022, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 23 February 2023, at 02:35. 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. As February ends, the Prime Minister remains mired in an extended poll slump, while the Labour leader and his party continue to ride high. . Sunaks challenge will be to convince the country that its current problems lie more with global events than his own party, but that will be very, very hard given how strongly people feel about this. IT'S a genuine poll result . Starmers office had not responded before publication of this article to a request for comment from Middle East Eye. Nicola Sturgeons departure has disarmed the Scottish separatist threat for a while.. While Starmer is seen as more austere, he has embraced the former PMs party financing strategy. Our one rule for them framing is paying off, said the source, with Johnson proving it to be true time and again. This represents a five-point jump for Labour when compared to polling carried out by the channel last week, and no movement at all for the Conservatives, who remain on 21% of the vote. While their lead of 9% in the Blue Wall represents a slight one-point narrowing in comparison to the end of last month, the partys lead over the Conservatives has altogether grown during February by two points in the Red Wall and by six points nationally. Through his public positioning, he has legitimised the rights discourse that left-wing politics is inherently subversive, unpatriotic and treasonous. 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. 2 March 2023. His website and blog can be found at www.jonathan-cook.net. It was a key insight to recognise that the DUP had overreached itself at the expense of the UKs wider economic and political interests, and was therefore in a weaker position than many assumed. Latest news, analysis and comment on French politics and beyond. Truss is hampered by being deeply uncharismatic - possibly even more so than Starmer, and in stark contrast to her immediate predecessor, Boris Johnson. Progressive politics is out in the cold. Jacob Rees-Mogg has joined in with the chorus of Tories trying to undermine Sue Gray 's report, after her new appointment as Keir Starmer's chief of staff - but his own words have now come . 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%). . 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. Does Keir Starmer look like a Prime Minister in waiting? 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. 2023. He seems to have taken as his starting point an assumption - shared by the establishment media - that the antagonism engineered by the Thatcher government through the 1980s towards trade unions and industrial action still holds 40 years later. Sunaks handling of the NI protocol suggests a leader and a Tory party with more left in the tank than some think. Keir Starmer, leader of the Labour Party, speaks at the National Farmers' Union (NFU) conference in Birmingham, UK, on Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2023. "Any opposition would be struggling against a government riding the success of the vaccine rollout and the last time the government's approval figures for the pandemic were this positive the Conservatives held a 17 point lead. Leadership approval ratings Rishi . He added: Real grown-ups would actually get everyone back around the table, unite the party, pull the trade unions back on board, build up our war chest and then go on to win the general election.. They are also targeting the partys next conference in the autumn as the moment to set out more detail of their plans adding that Labour is making progress with important groups of voters. Back in June, his spokesperson said: Weve been clear in the position that the strikes shouldnt go ahead. 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. The MP for Bermondsey and Old Southwark was hit with a five-day suspension today ( Friday, March 3 ), for his drunken, expletive-laden rants in Stranger's Bar last year . Even in the lowest months of the summer, there was no serious talk of a leadership challenge. His internal opposition had largely given up and gone home, disgusted with the obvious distance he had put between himself and his predecessor, now not even a Labour MP. Support for the Labour Party has grown in the aftermath of the Autumn Statement, a new poll reveals today. But it remains to be seen whether the announcement of a deal with the European Union over the Northern Ireland Protocol will lead to a reversal in the Governments polling fortunes. Not least, he has shredded the pledges he made during his campaign for the Labour leadership, policy commitments he sold Labour members as evidence he would serve as the continuity candidate for his left-wing predecessor, Jeremy Corbyn. 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. One member of Labours National Executive Committee (NEC), the partys ruling body, said Alli is a high net worth individual himself which will make quite a difference when he needs to tap people up to say Im giving money, you need to as well.'. Having Tony introduce Keir at the next Labour conference? But his handling of the Northern Ireland protocol changes this week suggests a leader with more in the tank than critics have allowed. She has managed the difficult feat of appearing to be both opportunistic and a political ideologue for big business who lacks the popular touch. Overall, more than half the country, 54%, say they do not know who to back on the economy or would rather not say. In some ways, the content of the protocol deal was the relatively straightforward bit. The following polls asked about voters' opinions on Ed Davey, leader of the Liberal Democrats since August 2020. Blairs most important fundraiser during his premiership Michael Levy once referred to as Lord Cashpoint also has a role in tapping up wealthy donors. 7 times Hancock hogged UK headlines, Chief of Staff - Maternity Cover (Brussels), Metsola wants Ukraine EU membership talks to start this year, Aggro-culture: Farmers protest brings Brussels EU Quarter to a standstill, Rishi Sunak says Whitehall must be impartial amid row over Grays Labour job. 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. Sir Keir Rodney Starmer KCB KC (/ k r /; born 2 September 1962) is a British politician and barrister who has served as Leader of the Opposition and Leader of the Labour Party since 2020. He could hardly have been in a weaker position than he was when he took over as Tory leader in October. The polling companies listed are members of the British Polling Council (BPC) and abide by its disclosure rules. Labour looks to Keir Starmer's readiness to pounce. Some 75% approve of the government's handling of the vaccine rollout. . 2023 3 minutes read. Levys return to the fold has also provided a big boost to Labours fundraising clout. Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies. Labours leads range from a yawning 31-point gap in our GB poll on the NHS (that lead representing a one-point gain from late January) to a relatively narrow four-point lead over the Conservatives in the Blue Wall as the party most trusted to manage the economy (32% to 28%, down from a 35% to 25% lead in our last Blue Wall Poll of January). "Labour's poor position today is the result of factors both out of their control and things they should be deeply concerned with.". Collapse. Only England and Wales jurisdiction apply in all legal matters. But Starmers success - assuming it can be maintained - has come at an extraordinarily high political price. He has not dared to seize the initiative as workers pay falls well behind rocketing inflation. Keir Starmers looking to the past and talking up a business role in the future in drive to fill party coffers. When politics resumes next week, the Labour leader will have a (courteous) spring in his step Most of what was unveiled notably the green and red lanes and the dispute resolution system has been on the table for years. Hes a lawyer hes learning his brief.. "However, at least then Labour could console itself that their leader was new and making a positive impression. It includes a job ad for a celebrities and endorsement manager.. 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. In my dealings with Gray when I was political secretary, I found her . But he did an important job this week. Keir Starmer is the 1st most popular Labour politician and the 2nd most popular politician & political figure. The battered economy, on which Starmer focused almost all his questions to Sunak in the Commons yesterday, remains far and away the central battleground of electoral politics for the foreseeable future. I find the best way to judge the . Lucy Powell described partygate investigator Sue Gray - who plans to join Labour as Sir Keir Starmer's chief of staff - as "impartial" and "really good at her job". Starmers reluctance to criticise big business or show solidarity with workers has shifted political ground in the UK even further to the right. He is not. This week, though, has provided a reminder of two important things that deserve to be noted by political observers. These polls asked the opinions of British voters, not specifically Scottish voters. Starmer certainly is not doing so. Does Rishi Sunak deserve some kind of apology? A moderate Labour MP said we cant be shy about raising money from private individuals, especially if they want to win big at the next election. 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 . and already Sunak seems to be making inroads into the Labour opinion poll lead, perhaps due to positive coverage of his NI Protocol efforts. Major new Labour donor David Sainsbury gave more than 2 million at the end of last year, the latest figures confirm, after fleeing during the Corbyn years. It was the year of three prime ministers and four chancellors. 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. He helped Labour raise 100 million from 1994 to 2007, before leaving when Blair resigned and he still has deep links to Britains private sector. Sunak has had luck along the way. When Sir Keir Starmer turned Labour chief in 2020, few ever believed he would develop into prime minister. It is a dramatic capitulation for a party in opposition that grew out of the activities of the trade union movement. Each pollster uses the following wording for this question: Some pollsters conduct surveys to compare figures who are not both party leaders. The big winner in all this, however, is disillusionment. But the publics view of the the Labour leader himself appears to be becoming more negative, following weeks in which he has been accused of failing to be more forceful on the cost of living. Explore the latest YouGov polling, survey results and articles about Keir Starmer. Keir Starmer was rewarded for his "strategic patience", according to an ally, when . This was a fall of six points, while Mr Johnson saw his popularity climb by eight points to 40%. Polls indicate the Tories still lag behind Labour in national opinion . Yoda Age: 22. Rishi Sunak branded Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer 'Mr 2nd Referendum' as he told the 1922 Committee of backbench Tories that the public are sick of Brexit 'drama'. Nicola Sturgeons departure has disarmed the Scottish separatist threat for a while, though the union remains fragile in the longer term. Not only is Labour considered a strong favorite to win the next election, but the moderate Labour right faction is now in firm control of the party an unthinkable position just a few years ago when the Corbynite left looked unassailable. 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. Gray, who has decades of government experience, came into the national spotlight last year for her damning investigation into the partygate scandal, a series of law-breaking . An improved UK-EU relationship that could eventually ease Britains trading problems is more distant still. The following polls asked about voters' opinions on Jeremy Corbyn, the former leader of the Labour Party until 4 April 2020. From the (limited) media I read it was pretty well received and will maintain/increase Labour's lead in the opinion polls. Latest news, analysis and comment from POLITICOs editors and guest writers in Europe. When asked who they blamed for the crisis, voters placed equal weight on Liz Truss (21%) and the war in Ukraine (21%). The vaccine effect wore off, and the stories of parties in Downing Street last year blew up a bomb marked double standards which had been sitting unexploded for some time under the weakening structure. Previous iterations contained Liz Truss and Jeremy Hunt, Liz Truss and Kwasi Kwarteng, and Keir Starmer and Anneliese Dodds. Commenting on the poll, a nationally representative survey of British adults by British Polling Council (BPC) member People Polling, Professor Matt Goodwin said: Both these numbers and the polls more broadly suggest that the Conservative Partys limited recovery that has been visible in the polls in recent weeks may have stalled.