Keir Starmer now less popular than Rishi Sunak, poll suggests

Keir Starmer and the chancellor, Rachel Reeves, are seen as focusing too much on Britain’s fiscal position and not enough on growth. Photograph: Stefan Rousseau/PA

Keir Starmer has suffered a precipitous fall in his personal ratings since winning the election, according to a new poll for the Observer that comes before his first Labour conference as prime minister.

The latest Opinium poll reveals that Starmer’s approval rating has plunged below that of the Tory leader Rishi Sunak, suffering a huge 45-point drop since July. While 24% of voters approve of the job he is doing, 50% disapprove, giving him a net rating of -26%. Sunak’s net rating is one point better.