Labour bound ahead in polls with largest lead since Sunak entered No10
The Labour Party has bounded ahead in the polls with their largest lead over the Conservatives since Rishi Sunak entered No10 – with the PM getting record low approval ratings from the public.
Voters have given Keir Starmer’s party a 26% lead, according to the latest voting intention survey, by Redfield & Wilton Strategies.
It comes as Sunak’s personal approval rating dropped to the lowest he has ever achieved as either chancellor or prime minister – at -20%, down two points from last week.
The former Goldman Sachs banker has also struggled to keep pace with Sir Keir in the ‘best prime minister’ poll, according to the Techne UK survey for the Express.
And the news follows revelations from former leader Liz Truss about her time in office, including that the mini-budget might have been scaled back or held off, had she “known the existence” of liability-driven investments, and that she doesn’t regret becoming prime minister.
On the previous week’s results, in the same poll, the Conservatives have dropped four points, putting them at just 24%, compared to Labour’s one point increase. While Starmer’s personal approval rating is up, at +6%, down three points from last week’s poll.
The poll found 24% approved of Sunak’s performance, versus Starmer’s 34%; while 44% were disapproving compared to Starmer’s 28%.
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s net approval rating stands at -16%, as of Sunday, February 5, with 37% disapproving of his performance and 21% approving, just six weeks before he is due to reveal his Spring Budget.
Another voting intention survey from Deltapoll put Labour’s lead at 18 points, placing the Tories at 29% compared to Labour’s 47%, as of today (Monday, February 6).
The Labour and Conservative parties have been approached for comment.
By Jessica Frank–Keyes