A plurality of Britons think that Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer should resign, while over six and ten say that he is performing poorly in his job, according to the YouGov pollster.
For the first time since taking over as leader of the left-wing Labour Party, more British voters than not say that Prime Minister Starmer should step down.
A survey from YouGov found that 40 per cent think he should resign, an increase of nine points in two months. In comparison, just 36 per cent said that he should remain as the Labour leader (and therefore as PM), a decline of five points since November.
The pollster also found that 64 per cent say Starmer is performing poorly as prime minister, an increase of three points over last month. Only 24 per cent of voters said that the self-described socialist is doing well in his role.
The results come just a half-year after Starmer and the Labour Party swept to victory. However, despite securing a strong majority in the House of Commons, there were warning signs from the start, with the party having won on the support of barely over one in five voters amid low turnout.
The Labour government struggled to get its footing early on, with widespread riots breaking out shortly after Starmer took power over the summer following a mass stabbing at a children’s dance party in Southport. Controversially, the leftist government freed criminals to make space in jails for those involved in the riots and protests, including some who merely made posts on social media.
The government came under further fire after abandoning its pledge to pursue a growth-based economic agenda. After coming into office, it quickly claimed that tax hikes were needed to support social services and fill a disputed “black hole” in the nation’s budget supposedly left by the previous government. The tax hikes were coupled with a deeply unpopular move to cut winter fuel subsidies for some senior citizens.
Unsurprisingly, markets have so far been unimpressed by the leftist government’s handling of the economy, with government borrowing costs soaring and the pound falling steeply against the dollar in recent weeks.
According to YouGov, the faltering economy tops the list of concerns for British voters at 57 per cent, an increase of six points over the previous week. The economy was followed by concerns over the struggling socialised healthcare system at 45 per cent and immigration at 44 per cent.
The struggles for the fledgling Labour government have been a boon for Reform UK and its leader, Nigel Farage, who currently holds the highest favourability of any major politician in the country at 30 per cent. Starmer trails behind Farage at 27 per cent, while recently installed Tory leader Kemi Badenoch only boasts 20 per cent favorability.
Farage’s Reform party has also seen a steady rise in support since the election, with multiple polls this month putting the populist party on equal footing with Labour for the lead in voting intention. In another sign of concern for the Labour government, Farage was found to be the most trusted politician in the country to grow the economy.
