Sir Keir Starmer’s popularity has sharply declined after criticism of his handling of the riots in Britain.
New polling for The Telegraph reveals that the Prime Minister’s approval ratings have plummeted in the two weeks since the far-right unrest began. The proportion of voters with a “strongly unfavourable” view of him increased by six points after the first week of violence.
Critics have targeted Sir Keir for his slow response to the unrest, including his decision to delay holding a Cobra meeting until a week after the disorder began.
Additionally, he has faced accusations, including from Elon Musk, the US tech entrepreneur, of overseeing “two-tier” policing of the violence.
Sir Paul Stephenson, a former Metropolitan Police commissioner, expressed disappointment in Sir Keir’s response, suggesting that it emphasized tough rhetoric over action.
Prior to the violence, the Prime Minister was experiencing a honeymoon period, with his approval ratings soaring after his landslide election victory last month ended 14 years of Tory rule.
On July 28, Savanta recorded his highest approval rating of +15, just a day before the first riot erupted following the Southport knife attack. By August 4, his rating had slumped to +4, returning to the levels seen before the election.
Chris Hopkins, political research director at Savanta, stated: “Starmer’s popularity seems to have returned to normal following the post-election honeymoon period.
“With violent disorder spreading across the UK, his favourability among the public is at its lowest since the election. It remains to be seen whether his response to the riots will have a long-term impact on his standing with voters.”
The polling indicated that the proportion of voters with a strongly unfavourable view of Sir Keir increased from 16 percent to 22 percent.
Luke Tryl, the UK director of More in Common, a think tank, commented that the polling suggested voters felt the Prime Minister’s response to the riots was not tough enough.
“This is a concerning sign for Starmer, as one might expect a ‘back the Government’ moment in such times. This suggests a much more visibly muscular response will be needed,” he said. “The rest of the polling clearly shows that people have no sympathy for the rioters and desire a robust response to address them.”
This follows a separate YouGov poll which found that 49 percent of voters believe Sir Keir has handled the riots poorly, while 31 percent think he has done well. The poll also revealed that 52 percent feel his response has not been tough enough, compared to 24 percent who believe it has been “about right.”
Despite this, Sir Keir remains the most popular politician in the country and the only one with a positive approval rating, according to Savanta.
Sir Ed Davey, the Liberal Democrat leader, holds the second highest rating at minus one, followed by Nigel Farage, the Reform UK leader, at minus 19, and Rishi Sunak, the Tory leader, at minus 31.
Sir Keir is also more popular than his Cabinet. His deputy, Angela Rayner, has a rating of minus four, while both Rachel Reeves, the Chancellor, and Yvette Cooper, the Home Secretary, are at minus five.
