KEIR Starmer’s favourability ratings have fallen to their lowest level since he became Prime Minister.
According to a YouGov poll, just a third of people in the UK now have a favourable view of Starmer, the fewest since June and down from 44% after the election.
This is against 56% of the public who now hold an unfavourable view of him – his joint worst figure recorded with YouGov in 2024.
Experts at YouGov have said the post-election honeymoon is “well and truly over”, with his favourability level now matching that recorded at the start of the year.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves has also seen a dip in her ratings, with her net favourability dipping to -19 from -16 last month.
For the one in five Britons (21%) who currently hold a positive view of Reeves, twice as many (40%) have now formed an unfavourable opinion of her.
A YouGov spokesperson said: “This is not really a case of Starmer’s popularity falling to new depths, instead it just seems that the post-election honeymoon is well and truly over. His current levels of favourability, unfavourability and net favourability are unexceptional compared to his ratings for the first half of this year.”
The ratings come after the Labour Government announced it would be cutting the universal Winter Fuel Payment to make it means-tested, meaning pensioners not in receipt of pension credit or some other benefits.
The announcement has led to huge concern that many pensioners who are not well off but do not claim pension credit will struggle this winter.
It has also been an unpopular move within the party, with some Labour MPs pushing for a U-turn.
Backbencher Neil Duncan-Jordan has tabled an Early Day Motion to delay the changes to the payment which he claimed had been introduced “without prior consultation or an impact assessment”.
The payment is set to be devolved later this year but the Scottish Government said it had been forced to follow the UK Government in making it means-tested.
Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said it was a “necessary decision” when faced with “such a deep cut to our funding".
She said the reduction in funding amounted to as much as 90% of the cost of Scotland’s replacement benefit.
Cuts to the payment initiated by the UK Government are set to reduce the block grant adjustment associated with the payment by an estimated £140-£160 million in 2024/25.
The Labour Government also caused a stir when it announced it would not be getting rid of the Tory two-child benefit cap.
Seven Labour MPs were suspended after they rebelled against the Government by backing a motion to scrap the cap.
These included former shadow chancellor John McDonnell and Rebecca Long-Bailey, who served on Jeremy Corbyn’s frontbench as shadow business secretary.
Zarah Sultana, Imran Hussain, Richard Burgon, Apsana Begum and Ian Byrne also had the whip removed.
