Sir Keir Starmer has given his verdict on his own and his party’s increasingly poor approval ratings in the polls as he opens up on the threat from Nigel Farage’s Reform UK.
The Prime Minister’s popularity has plummeted to -46, according to recent YouGov polling.
In addition, a YouGov MRP poll released last week put Reform UK on track to become the largest party if a General Election were held today, with a turquoise tsunami sweeping through England and Wales.
Despite facing unprecedented unpopularity for a sitting Prime Minister, Starmer insists he remains focused on the challenge ahead.
“I don’t obsess about [the polling],” the 62-year-old told The Sunday Times
“I try to make it water off a duck’s back as far as possible. Because otherwise I think you lose any ability to focus and you just spend your whole time worrying about it.”
Starmer went on to talk about the rising popularity of Farage’s populist party, which he has previously referred to as Labour’s main opposition instead of Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch.
He continued: “He’s a good communicator but he hasn’t got any answers.
Sir Keir Starmer has addressed his party’s increasingly poor approval ratings as he opens up on the threat from Nigel Farage’s Reform UK
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“His mask slipped just two weeks ago when he made £80billion worth of unfunded spending commitments.
“It exposed him, I think. And it shows that as he moves from easy rhetoric to detail, he’s going to increasingly be found out.”
Then, turning his attention to Badenoch, Starmer told the publication: “It is a challenge for her. I don’t want to be patronising, because it’s not about her.
“It is really difficult to be leader of the opposition when your party has just lost badly. It is a really hard job.”
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Nigel Farage’s Reform UK would be the largest party if a General Election were held today, with a turquoise tsunami sweeping through England and Wales, a YouGov MRP poll revealed
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The Prime Minister acknowledged his Government’s communication failures, admitting they have struggled to articulate their vision effectively.
He said: “It’s the challenge getting our story across. This is a reflection on ourselves.”
Starmer’s interview comes just days after he U-turned over cuts to welfare in the face of a major rebellion of more than 120 Labour MPs.
The Prime Minister was forced to water down the plans and make three major concessions to the £5billion cut to welfare spending.
Speaking on the U-turn, he said: “All these decisions are my decisions and I take ownership of them.
“My rule of leadership is, when things go well you get the plaudits; when things don’t go well you carry the can.
“I take responsibility for all the decisions made by this Government.
“I do not talk about staff, and I’d much prefer it if everybody else didn’t.”
The Prime Minister was forced to water down the plans and make three major concessions to the £5billion cut to welfare spending
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In a letter outlining the Prime Minister’s concessions, Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall informed Labour MPs that the Government will still provide Pip unchanged for all current claimants.
Kendall added that all new claims submitted after November 2026 will be subject to new eligibility requirements, while all existing recipients of the Universal Credit’s health element and any new claimant meeting a strict conditions criteria will also have their incomes fully protected in real terms.
A third concession centres around guaranteeing that the Government would conduct a ministerial review of the Pip assessment.
A vote on the new welfare bill is still expected to take place on Tuesday.