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Monday 11 September 2023 5:04 pm

Rishi Sunak now as unpopular as Boris Johnson, poll finds

By: Jessica Frank-Keyes

Political Reporter

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Rishi Sunak is now as unpopular as Boris Johnson when he left office, polling of the public has revealed.
Rishi Sunak is now as unpopular as Boris Johnson when he left office, polling of the public has revealed.

Rishi Sunak is now as unpopular as Boris Johnson when he left office, polling of the public has revealed.

The Prime Minister has scored his lowest ever favourability rating with almost 70 per cent of Brits revealing that they don’t rate him – making his popularity levels as poor as those of his former boss who was forced from office in the wake of the Partygate scandal.

YouGov found 67 per cent of Brits had an “unfavourable opinion” of the Prime Minister – down four points on the previous survey and his lowest level on record – despite Sunak pitching himself as a grown-up, solutions-focused leader.

The results come as the More in Common think tank revealed today that 38 per cent of people think they could do a better job of running the country over the Prime Minister.

It follows a torrid week for the government after Westminster returned from recess which saw a crumbling concrete crisis engulf schools, a terror suspect flee HMP Wandsworth, claims an alleged  ‘Chinese spy’ was operating in Parliament and now a row over killer bully XL dogs.

Just over a quarter – 26 per cent – of those 2,210 adults surveyed between August 29-30 had a “favourable” view of Sunak, making his overall rating his lowest to date.

However, researchers also found the Conservative leader is slightly less unpopular than the Tories as a whole, with 70 per cent of Brits viewing the party unfavourably.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer’s score remained stable, with 34 per cent having a positive view and 54 per cent a negative one, both a point off the previous week’s findings.

His party as a whole was backed by 40 per cent of the UK, versus 51 per cent who weren’t keen.

Read more

What if Andy Burnham had become Labour leader in 2015?

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