Keir Starmer’s approval rating is the highest of any opposition leader since Tony Blair, according to a new poll.
The Labour leader has a net +31 per cent approval rating, equal to that of Mr Blair in December 1994, three years before his landslide victory in the general election.
The Ipsos MORI political monitor poll found Mr Starmer’s +31 per cent approval compares to +23 per cent for David Cameron at the same stage in his leadership, +19 per cent for Ed miliband, and -1 per cent for his predecessor Jeremy Corbyn.
Overall 77 per cent of Labour voters are satisfied with Mr Starmer’s performance.
The next UK general election is schedule to be held on Thursday 2 May 2024, in line with the Fixed Term Parliaments Act – though the government has said it might change the rules.
Gideon Skinner, head of political research at Ipsos MORI, said: “Labour will of course be encouraged that Keir Starmer is achieving comparable leader satisfaction ratings to Tony Blair and David Cameron when they led the opposition, as both went on to become general election winners.
“However this is still very early days – it’s not unusual to see a honeymoon period for a new leader.
“And there is an important difference – Boris Johnson is still more popular than John Major and Gordon Brown were when Blair and Cameron achieved their best scores. With concerns about the economy and the coronavirus high, how the two leaders handle these over the next few months will be crucial.”
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