Sir Keir Starmer has opened up a remarkable 41-point lead over prime minister Rishi Sunak in the leadership approval race.
The Conservatives suffered one of their worst defeats since the Second World War as they lost the Wellingborough and Kingswood by-elections last week.
Sir Keir Starmer hailed the results as a sign the public wants change and represented “a vindication of all the hard work we’ve done” to change the Labour Party since he took over in 2020.
Welcoming the pair to Parliament’s Westminster Hall, he said: “They both overturned incredible majorities, the like of which we wouldn’t normally be able to overturn, making history before they’d even been sworn in as Members of Parliament, a fantastic achievement.
“And if we carry on like this with by-elections, we’re going to need a bigger hall.”
Polling out from Deltapoll suggests Starmer’s approval rating has lifted by five points since the elections, while Sunak has slid by eight points.
It means there is now a 41-point gap between the pair, suggesting a Labour win at the next election is an all-but-inevitable outcome.
Related: Wellingborough and Kingswood ‘particularly challenging’, PM insists after defeat
