Labour leader Keir Starmer has overtaken Boris Johnson as the public preferred choice for Prime Minister, according to the latest Opinium poll for The Observer. The increase in the Labour leader’s popularity follows a series of strong performances against Johnson at Prime Minister’s Questions. You can find our Community Guidelines in full here. The swing in popularity also coincides with a drop in public approval for the government’s handling of the coronavirus outbreak. The new Opinium polling, taken four weeks after he became leader, gives Starmer a 36% approval rating compared to a 18% disapproval rating.
© 2020 Guardian News & Media Limited or its affiliated companies. The most insightful comments on all subjects will be published daily in dedicated articles. A Tory lead at the ballot box is also waning with the latest figures on voting intentions showing a drop of 5% for the Tories, which now sit on 40%. The latest Ipsos MORI Political Monitor survey found 50% of respondents viewed Sir Keir as 'more understanding' of the problems facing Britain than Johnson, who only received 43%.

Please, Listen to Times Radio for the latest well-informed debate, expert analysis and breaking news. Labour have been on an upward trajectory since the end of March, a recovery that has continued apace since Sir Keir Starmer was confirmed as Jeremy Corbyn’s successor on April 4. All rights reserved. © 2020 JPIMedia Publications Ltd. Boris warning: Keir Starmer storms to first-ever lead over Tories as voters back Labour BORIS JOHNSON's approval ratings have slipped behind Keir Starmer for the first time, according to a new poll. Another poll has shown Sir Keir Starmer as being viewed as a better leader than Boris Johnson. Keir Starmer is favoured by voters over Boris Johnson when it comes to their leadership qualities, a new poll suggests. Two weeks ago, Opinium found more people cited Starmer as their preferred choice as prime minister (37%) than Boris Johnson (35%). Around a third – 32 per cent – said they would be willing to see companies and individuals pay more tax to help cover the costs of Covid-19, over cutting public spending.

But a survey of 2,500 people by Redfield and Wilton Strategies on behalf of i shows voters believe Mr Johnson is the better leader to be in Downing Street, with him enjoying a 12-point lead over his rival Sir Keir Starmer. Sir Keir also trumped Johnson on the scale of who was the more capable leader (44% to 37%) and sound judgement (43% to 30%), and as a good representative for Britain on the world stage (42% against 30%).

We have noticed that there is an issue with your subscription billing details. Start your Independent Premium subscription today. Thirty-four per cent of those polled said Sir Keir would be the best prime minister, compared to 32 per cent backing the incumbent, Mr Johnson. All rights reserved. Support for Mr Johnson remains strong in parts of the country that were previously Labour strongholds, suggesting that the Prime Minister has not lost the backing of “red wall” seats that voted Conservative for the first time in 2019. When asked who they would vote for if there was an election, the Tories still have a lead: 42 per cent of respondents backed them, compared to 36 per cent for Labour. When asked about competence, Starmer scores a net positive result of +28 against -4 for Johnson. The Labour leader would do a better job at running the country than Boris Johnson, according to a survey by YouGov for The Times.

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By contrast, the number backing Starmer rose from 22% to 27% in the same period. What is Keir Starmer’s eight-point plan to reform Labour? When asked which individual respondents thought would be the better prime minister for the United Kingdom, 45 per cent of respondents said Boris Johnson and 33 per cent opted for the Labour leader. Boris Johnson v Keir Starmer: latest polls and approval ratings. Sir Keir leads Boris Johnson as “best prime minister” by 36 per cent to 32 per cent. The extent to which Starmer has struck a chord with voters is underlined by responses when people are asked about the leaders’ abilities and qualities in specific areas.

You may not agree with our views, or other users’, but please respond to them respectfully, Swearing, personal abuse, racism, sexism, homophobia and other discriminatory or inciteful language is not acceptable, Do not impersonate other users or reveal private information about third parties, We reserve the right to delete inappropriate posts and ban offending users without notification. That is, however, one percentage point up for Labour and a huge surge compared to the situation after December’s general election.

Keir Starmer and his wife Victoria join in the weekly clap for NHS carers. We believe our voice is important - both in representing the pro-EU perspective and also to help rebalance the right wing extremes of much of the UK national press. Last modified on Sat 11 Jul 2020 22.40 BST. One in four respondents – 26 per cent – said they expected their financial situation to be worse over the next 12 months. A third state they are satisfied with the government (35%, down 9 points) while 57% are dissatisfied (up 9 points). Watch more Labour conference: Boris Johnson ‘not up to the job’ of prime minister, Keir Starmer says Gideon Skinner, head of political research at Ipsos MORI, said: "Although a bit of the shine is coming off, Keir Starmer is still doing relatively well in public perceptions for a new opposition leader – and he’s liked among older voters as well as the young. If it’s a tax-raising Budget I will,” Mr Davis said. 894646. Quarantine-free travel: which countries are safe to visit? Labour now stands four points behind the Conservatives overall, with the Tories on 42%, Labour on 38% and the Liberal Democrats on 6%. Boris Johnson’s approval rating has fallen by seven points in less than a fortnight, as rival Keir Starmer’s popularity continues to grow, latest polling figures show. Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn only managed to 46% in September 2017. Meanwhile, the government's satisfaction ratings continued to drop.

If you value what we are doing, you can help us by making a contribution to the cost of our journalism. Please be respectful when making a comment and adhere to our Community Guidelines. Our journalists will try to respond by joining the threads when they can to create a true meeting of independent Premium. Instant Opinion: Remainers fighting ‘long-lost war’, Windrush activist lists ‘100 great black Britons’, EU ‘mulling legal action’ over UK’s ‘breach’ of Brexit deal, Neanderthal genes linked to severe Covid-19 symptoms, Explained: Johnson’s offshore migrant detention plans, How the pharma industry is changing to produce a vaccine, Today’s front pages: ‘Keep calm, curfew on’, Best vacuum cleaners: it’s time for an ‘autumn clean’, Autumn adventures, experiences and events. Sir Keir Starmer’s ratings have also fallen, though remain positive on balance. Although Mr Cummings was cleared after a brief investigation by Durham Constabulary, two of the four people who claim they saw him during a second visit up north have now complained to the police watchdog, claiming detectives did not properly explore if the Downing Street aide had broken the law. "He’s building an image of a capable leader with sound judgement rather than on his personality, but still has work to do to convert his popularity into support for his party.".

That would continue, she said, unless he backed away from the radical manifesto on which he fought the leadership election. But in a warning of the size of the battle the Government faces if it comes to pushing through tax rises, former Brexit secretary David Davis said he will vote against the Budget if it contains plans to increase taxes. Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, SE1 9GF. Victoria join in the weekly clap for NHS carers, Starmer’s questioning has left the PM “rattled”, according to, YouGov data “shows that at the end of last week 49% thought the government was doing badly, and 47% that it was doing well”, reports, Covid cases ‘slowing in the UK’, study claims, Plan launched to change rules for White House debates, Ministers mulling floating asylum centres, How Keir Starmer can rein in Boris Johnson, Keir Starmer’s first PMQs: ‘the opposition is back’.

On the question of whether they are strong leaders, Johnson scores -2 while Starmer is on +21.

Please, The subscription details associated with this account need to be updated. In April, days before Sir Keir became leader of the opposition and approaching the peak of the coronavirus pandemic, the Tory lead over Labour had been stretched to 24 points. Boris Johnson v Keir Starmer: latest polls and approval ratings. Laura Parker, the former national coordinator of Momentum, the grassroots group set up to support Corbyn’s leadership, said that while there had been aspects of Starmer’s early leadership with which some party members had been very unhappy, including his response to the Black Lives Matter movement and the sacking of Rebecca Long-Bailey, there was now a willingness across the party to work with him.
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The findings will encourage Labour MPs, members and activists, many of whom believed the party would face a minimum period of 10 years of rebuilding after their disastrous general election last December, and that Starmer would struggle to make an impact in the midst of the coronavirus crisis. He was also seen as a more honest politicians with 36% saying they trusted sir Keir more than Johnson, who scored 27%.