PA
Sir Keir Starmer’s net approval rating is down 10 per cent in the last few weeks and 26 points below his first approval rating as prime minister following a bumpy few weeks in UK politics.
Opinium’s latest poll shows the public perception of the PM has started to slide just weeks into the new administration which has seen riots on the streets of Britain become a focal topic.
Starmer’s net approval ratings sits at -7 per cent, down 10 points from +3 at the beginning of August, and down 26 points from +19 per cent in his first approval rating as prime minister.
Rishi Sunak’s approval ratings have stayed on -30 per cent, the same as a fortnight ago, whilst Ed Davey’s ratings have dropped slightly, currently sitting at +0 per cent compared to +5 per cent two weeks ago.
Despite the prime minister’s approval rating falling, the public are behind how he and his government have tackled recent riots that broke out across the country – with 43 per cent approving of the way the government has handled the violent disorder.
In addition, 39 per cent say they approve of Starmer’s handling of the riots, vs 29 per cent who disapprove.
As sentences for those involved in the riots are handed out, UK voters think the Government has reacted proportionately to the situation (44 per cent), with over a quarter (26 per cent) saying they think they have underreacted.
Two in five (37 per cent) think the sentences being handed out have been about right, with a third (33 per cent) revealing they have not been harsh enough.
Looking beyond the government, the police and the courts have emerged as the public’s heroes, with over half (51 per cent) approving of how the police have handled the riots, and half (50 per cent) approving of how the courts have managed their response.
Nigel Farage has received a negative response from the public on his reaction to the riots (21 per cent approve, 36 per cent disapprove). However, Elon Musk (16 per cent approve, 48 per cent disapprove) and Tommy Robinson (12 per cent approve, 49 per cent disapprove) have received an even more negative reaction from UK voters.
Over a fifth (45 per cent) of the public think immigration is one of the top issues facing the country (up from 37 per cent on polling day), behind health (59 per cent), but level with the economy (also on 45 per cent).
Two thirds (66 per cent) of UK voters still think immigration is too high, and almost half (49 per cent) think immigration has had a negative impact on the country, Britain’s economy (40 per cent) and cultural life in the UK (44 per cent).
Adam Drummond, head of political and social at Opinium said: “The idea that condemning rioters was somehow saying concerns about the level of immigration were illegitimate was always a lie and the results in our poll show this quite clearly. Strong majorities agree with Keir Starmer’s description of the rioters as ‘thugs’, think that the prison sentences being handed out are appropriate or don’t go far enough, and think it’s fair to arrest people for inciting racial hatred on social media.
“In the same poll, a strong majority believe that levels of immigration are too high and are split on the benefits and drawbacks of immigration to the UK. Although the government have cause to be concerned about how voters view the state of the economy, public services and immigration levels, a strong response to public disorder is not something they find controversial.”
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