New polling has put Keir Starmer’s net favourability 50 points ahead of where Jeremy Corbyn left off as Labour leader.
The new Opinium polling gives Starmer a 36 per cent approval rating compared to a 18 per cent disapproval rating.
It puts the Labour leader on +18 points, way ahead of Jeremy Corbyn’s last recorded poll figure of -51 points.
Starmer also has a 68 per cent approval rating within his own party, with just 5 per cent of members disapproving of his leadership so far.
But Johnson still remains the most popular political leader across the UK with a 51 per cent approval rating compared to a 31 per cent disapproval rating, putting him on +20 points, two ahead of his Labour counterpart.
National consensus
Starmer has called on Boris Johnson to form a “national consensus” on the next phase of the coronavirus response as ministers work on plans to ease the lockdown.
The Labour leader has backed the extension of the strict measures ahead of talks with the Prime Minister this week and pledged to work “constructively” with the Government.
But he continued his criticism of Mr Johnson’s handling of the crisis, saying ministers have been behind on testing, protective equipment and implementing the lockdown.
“Our priority is protecting the public’s health and saving lives”
“We want to support the Government to get this right and that is why we need a national consensus on what happens next,” Sir Keir said.
“Our priority is protecting the public’s health and saving lives. That is why we supported the lockdown and again support the restrictions staying in place at this time.
“However, we need to be honest with the public about the challenges ahead. We are in this for the long haul. It is imperative that the Government is properly planning for what happens next and properly supporting our NHS and social care services.”
Sir Keir acknowledged public concerns about returning to work after more than six weeks of being told to stay home to protect themselves, loved ones and the NHS.
“People rightly need confidence it’s safe before they go back out to work, travel or use public services,” Sir Keir added.
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