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It’s not even something we can put down to recency bias: The last few years in British politics have been a shambles, and those elected (or in some cases, barely elected) to lead from the Tory ranks have frustrated the public beyond all reasonable restraint.
A poll conducted by WeThink for Byline Times has revealed something truly staggering. Of all the Prime Ministers to take office since the late 1970s, voters now believe that the worst three premiers have been the last three occupants of 10 Downing Street.
The survey reveals that 34% of respondents have Liz Truss down as the worst PM of the last 40 years. She was certainly the shortest serving one, after her disastrous economic plans forced her out of office within 50 days.
Her predecessor Boris Johnson came in second, fetching 22% of the vote. His ‘oven-ready Brexit deal’ fell apart once it was dished up, and a series of sleaze scandals eventually cost BoJo his job. He did, however, outlast the lettuce.
Rishi Sunak props up the podium, and he’ll be thankful to those who came before him. He drew 13% of the nominations, with Margaret Thatcher (10%) and Tony Blair (8%) completing the top five loathed leaders.
WeThink’s polling revealed a trove of disastrous statistics for Mr. Sunak, though. His approval rating has dropped to -25, and 77% of Brits now want a General Election ‘within the next six months’. Labour also maintain a 20-point lead over the Tories.
He’s not winning any popularity contests against Sir Keir, either: When asked which party leader would make the best PM, 40% opted for Starmer, with just 27% backing Sunak. Comically, the latter trails the ‘Don’t Know’ option by five points…
