49-Point Drop 3 Months After Landslide Victory in General Election
Support for UK Labour Party Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who won a landslide victory in the early general election last July, has sharply declined in just three months.
According to a survey conducted by UK polling firm More in Common on the 9th and 10th of this month, targeting 1,012 British adults, Prime Minister Starmer’s approval rating stood at -38, based on a zero baseline. This marks a 49-point drop compared to his approval rating of +11 immediately after the general election. It is even lower than the -31 approval rating of former Conservative Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
Luke Trill, director at More in Common, commented that “the plunge in Prime Minister Starmer’s approval rating is unprecedented compared to previous prime ministers.” According to The Telegraph, former Labour Prime Minister Tony Blair recorded a +46 approval rating three months after his landslide victory in August 1997. He maintained positive approval ratings until the summer of 2000. Former Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron also did not record negative approval ratings until early 2011, and fellow Conservative Boris Johnson started at -20 immediately after the general election but soon rebounded to +14.
Trill analyzed that voter volatility has increased over recent decades, making it harder to maintain popularity than in the past. He explained that negative evaluations of policies such as cuts to winter fuel payments and early prisoner release programs implemented to address prison overcrowding have contributed to the decline in approval ratings.
Additionally, controversies surrounding Prime Minister Starmer and some senior cabinet members receiving various gifts and favors in the past appear to have adversely affected approval ratings. The Starmer government plans to include some tax increases in next year’s budget, raising concerns about the possibility of further declines in support.
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