"In yet another confusing and chaotic period for British politics there is one thing on which just about everyone can agree: Keir Starmer is unpopular. Very, very unpopular. His net favourability rating, the difference between those who have a generally positive or negative view of the prime minister has been, depending on the pollster, anything from -50 to -57, a nadir only beaten by Liz Truss."
"Recent focus group descriptions of Starmer include a jellyfish and a doormat. Perhaps most strikingly, the slightly plaintive chant of Keir Starmer's a wanker to the inevitable tune of Seven Nation Army has been heard not just at football stadiums but January's world darts championship. In a political world increasingly atomised and feral, and fuelled by social media algorithms, open dislike is perhaps more common than in the past. But even in this context, Starmer appears an outlier."
"Leaders tend to be viewed favourably by supporters of their own party, and Starmer is not. He entered No 10 with understandably strong backing from 2024 Labour voters, but this has evaporated, seemingly the result of government blunders and a policy framing intended more to chase Reform than engage the base. The same is true for Liberal Democrat and Green voters. Even so, YouGov's head of politics and elections, Anthony Wells, says the leap from the polling figures to the outright, visceral dislike"
Keir Starmer's personal popularity has collapsed, with net favourability ratings between -50 and -57, surpassed only by Liz Truss. Focus groups label him a jellyfish and a doormat, and abuse chants have spread from stadiums to televised events like the world darts championship. Open dislike is amplified by social media and political atomisation, yet Starmer's negative image stands out compared with other party leaders who are only mildly disliked. Labour still polls better than rivals, but many 2024 Labour voters have withdrawn support amid government errors and policy framing aimed at Reform rather than the party base.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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