It’s not been a great weekend for Rishi Sunak. His beloved Southampton side were relegated from the Premier League on Saturday – but that may not be the biggest humiliation he’s had to put up with over the past few days.
What’s driving the ‘Sunak Slump’?
A set of new polls from Omnisis have cast an ominous shadow over the Prime Minister. Both he and his party are lagging behind in the polls, as the public continues to warm towards the idea of a Keir Starmer premiership (too soon, Rishi?) and a Labour government.
Of the three polls, the first is likely to be the most damaging for the Conservatives. When Brits were asked who they’d be voting for at the next General Election, a whopping 51% indicated they’d back Labour. The Tories polled just 24%, and the Lib Dems came third with 10%:
Swell of support for Labour following Local Elections
This 27 point lead is the biggest Labour have held in ANY poll since February. Although Starmer has his own in-party critics, it seems the opposition leader is winning over a broader section of the general public.
Sir Keir is, if nothing else, more popular than Mr. Sunak as things stand. A second survey asked respondents who they’d prefer as Prime Minister between the two. Starmer came out on top here, recording 41% of the vote.
Rishi Sunak trails to ‘Don’t Know’ in key leadership poll
Amazingly, this was a two-horse race in which Sunak managed to finish third. While he got the backing of 27% of those questioned, the option ‘Don’t Know’ ended up with 31% – a result that just about sums up a glum situation for the ruling party.
A hat-trick of disappointments was completed, when a third poll – focused on Rishi Sunak’s own approval ratings – returned some grim figures for the PM. His net approval rating has dropped to -13 points, with 42% of respondents saying they ‘disapprove’ of his leadership.
Much like the Saints, Sunak needs to bounce back immediately – or he too could be exiled from a position of power.