New poll shows sharp drop in popularity for Labour, British premier

By Aysu Bicer

LONDON (AA) - British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s popularity has dropped dramatically following a challenging summer for the party, according to the latest Political Pulse survey conducted by Ipsos.

Despite being on course for a landslide victory earlier in the year, the poll reveals a growing discontent among voters.

The survey reveals a significant rise in unfavorable opinions of both Labour and its key figures, including Starmer and shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves.

"55% think things in Britain are heading in the wrong direction (+3 pts from August). This is lower than the final rating recorded under the Conservatives before the General Election (62% in late June) but is higher than the first rating recorded after Labour’s victory of 49% in early July," according to an Ipsos statement.

Ipsos conducted interviews with 1,147 adults aged 18 and up from across Great Britain. Phone interviews were conducted between September 6 and 9.

Although Labour remains more popular than the Conservative party, Ipsos’s director of politics Keiran Pedley warned of "early warning signs" for Starmer and his team.

Pedley commented on the numbers, noting that while perceptions of Labour still outshine those of the Conservatives, the sharp drop since August is cause for concern.

This comes as the government faces "tough choices" predicted by political commentators earlier this year, choices that are now impacting Labour’s public image.

However, Labour’s outlook is not entirely bleak. The poll shows that while the Conservatives have improved slightly since the general election, their recovery remains sluggish.

Furthermore, Starmer still boasts a higher net favorability rating than any of the remaining candidates in the Conservative leadership contest, including Robert Jenrick, James Cleverly, Kemi Badenoch, and Tom Tugendhat.

With the next general election still years away, there is time for Labour to regain lost ground.