Labor Party Approval Ratings Hit Record Low
Less than 18 months into Keir Starmer’s tenure as Prime Minister, the approval ratings for Britain’s Labor Party have dropped to an unprecedented low, according to a recent YouGov poll.
The survey reveals that Labor’s vote share has fallen to just 17%, down three points from the previous week, marking its lowest rating since taking office last year.
Throughout the year, Labor has maintained a 10-point lead over Nigel Farage’s Reform UK Party and is now only one point ahead of the Green Party. This party has recently shifted focus under its new leader, Zac Polanski, concentrating on socialist economic issues and Islamic concerns. Both the Green Party and Reform UK have seen a one-point increase in support since last week.
YouGov indicates that Starmer’s party is currently polling lower than the former Conservative Party led by ousted Chancellor Rishi Sunak, which dropped to 18% in last July’s general election. Now, just over a year after that election, both major parties stand at 17% in Westminster.
Meanwhile, the Liberal Democrats are in fifth place with 15%, and the Scottish National Party (SNP) has the support of 3% of the population.
However, the situation may be even more dire for Labor than the polls suggest. Notably, the results did not account for the breakaway Islamic Socialist party led by former Labor leader Jeremy Corbyn and MP Zarah Sultana, which is tentatively called Everyone’s Party. While it has faced chaos, previous polls indicate it could potentially capture up to 10% support, mainly drawing votes from Labor, and likely some from the Greens.
Labor’s three-point drop this week coincides with what many see as a significant government blunder. An illegal immigrant and convicted child molester was mistakenly released from prison, igniting a manhunt to recapture him.
Hadush Gerberslassie Kebatou, an Ethiopian, was held in a migrant hotel in Epping after crossing the English Channel illegally. Shortly after his arrival, he sexually assaulted a 14-year-old girl, leading to nationwide protests against the government’s hotel program, which accommodates over 30,000 foreigners.
In an attempt to cast a positive spin on the incident, the government is shifting blame onto Kebatou, suggesting he should never have been let into the country—or mistakenly released from prison in the first place.
Public opinion has shifted dramatically on immigration as well; it has become a primary concern for British citizens for the first time since the 2016 Brexit referendum, with nearly 60% identifying it as a top issue, according to YouGov research.
But immigration isn’t the only headache for the Labor government. The economy, noted by 51% of respondents as a significant concern, continues to struggle post-coronavirus lockdowns initiated under the Conservative administration. Contrary to Starmer’s promised growth policies, Labor has persisted with high tax and spending strategies typical of its predecessors.
According to Carnegie UK’s annual Life in Britain survey, there’s been “no meaningful improvement in life” during Labor’s first year. Unsurprisingly, the survey shows that seven in ten Britons feel they can no longer influence decisions in Westminster, as Labor continues many of the failed policies of the previous Conservative government.
