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Poll shows sharp dip in public backing for Prime Minister and Chancellor

13 Sep 2024 3 minute read
Sir Keir Starmer with Chancellor, Rachel Reeves. Photo Stefan Rousseau PA Images

Public favourability for both Sir Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves has fallen sharply, according to a poll.

As the Government faces criticism for withdrawing winter fuel payments from all but the poorest pensioners, research this month found 32% of people viewed the Prime Minister favourably, a six-percentage point drop since August.

Those who view Sir Keir unfavourably increased by eight points to 46% over the same period, leaving a net score of minus 14 compared with a net score of zero last month.

The percentage who view Sir Keir unfavourably matches the highest level of negativity previously recorded for him by Ipsos following the Hartlepool by-election in 2021, which the Conservatives won from Labour with a swing of almost 16%.

Difficult choices

The Chancellor, who has warned of difficult choices ahead of the Budget on October 30, has seen her favourability fall by four points to 23%, at a time her unfavourability has risen by nine points to 44%.

This resulted in a net score of minus 21 in September compared with a score of minus eight in August.

The proportion of people who view the Labour Party favourably has fallen by four points to 36%, while unfavourability has increased by eight points to 45%.

However, despite some internal party concerns over the winter fuel allowance squeeze, positivity towards the Prime Minister and his party among Labour voters remains unchanged this month at 69%.

Meanwhile the Chancellor’s favourability has slipped by two points among Labour supporters to 46%, with those viewing her as unfavourable increasing by four points to 21%.

The poll found that 39% of the public support the means testing of the winter fuel allowance and 42% are opposed.

Among the under-55s, 46% support the measure and 32% are opposed, but 58% of those aged 55 and over are against the measure.

More broadly, 55% of those polled said they think Britain is heading in the right direction, an increase of three points from August.

This is lower than the final rating under the Conservatives ahead of the July general election of 62%, but is higher than the first rating of 49% recorded following Labour’s victory in early July.

Conservative leadership contenders

The poll found no notable differences in public favourability for the remaining Conservative leadership contenders, with all four scoring around one in five favourable and one in three unfavourable.

Tom Tugendhat has the lowest net negativity of minus 13, but large numbers of those polled did not offer an opinion either way for each candidate.

Keiran Pedley, director of politics at Ipsos, said: “There are some early warning signs in these numbers for Keir Starmer and Labour.

“Whilst the next general election is several years away – and perceptions of Labour remain stronger than perceptions of the Conservative Party – these figures do represent a sharp drop from those recorded in August.

“Moving forward, Labour will want to strike the right balance between setting public expectations about the pace of change whilst maintaining confidence that the change Labour supporters voted for in July is coming.”

Ipsos interviewed a representative sample of 1,147 adults aged 18 and above and interviews were conducted between September 6 and 9.

Data was weighted to match the profile of the population.


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Jeff
Jeff
1 month ago

Find out for real next election. The bridge will have a lot of H2O under it by then.

(but to keep up with the tone here at PC towers, “Labour, Grrrrr””

hdavies15
hdavies15
1 month ago
Reply to  Jeff

You mean as in “politically correct”….right up your street then innit.

Jeff
Jeff
1 month ago
Reply to  hdavies15

Nah. Whole bent here is Plaid Cymru good, Tory not so good but Labour, grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr breath rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Mab Meirion
Mab Meirion
1 month ago

Not a thought for casualties among the hen oed, the same lack of concern shown as in Gaza…

I think there is a bit of humanity missing from Captain and Pusser Bumble, a marriage made in a counting house…

Last edited 1 month ago by Mab Meirion
Frank
Frank
1 month ago

Starmer and Reeves…… Bonnie and Clyde.

Daniel Pitt
Daniel Pitt
1 month ago

You’re telling us that starving children and making pensioners freeze to death are unpopular policies? But… but… looking after vulnerable people is socialism!

hdavies15
hdavies15
1 month ago
Reply to  Daniel Pitt

Socialism ! – what is that? said Shifty Starmer to his chum Ruthless Rachel. I guess this is the newest version of socialism where obeying the diktats of globalist corporates takes prime place in priorities.

David RJ Lloyd
David RJ Lloyd
1 month ago

people are notoriously fickle & no more so given the anger & frustration given the mess we have inherited from the 14 years a tory disaster

Why vote
Why vote
1 month ago

The poles show there is a dip in support for Starmer and Reeves, nice headline so what will happen next a re run of the election, No absolutely nothing will happen there is nothing anyone can do for 5 years, in the meantime Pensioners are being used as cannon fodder, to see which way the enemy fire was coming from as in the first world War. Since the removal of the WFA there has been no specific sugestion of further cuts in any direction, the labour government seems to be waiting for the return volley from any direction, so what… Read more »

hdavies15
hdavies15
1 month ago
Reply to  Why vote

Try removing council tax relief for single occupied dwellings, or so the rumour goes. Labour now floating ideas out via leaks to test for response.

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