Almost a quarter of Labour voters (23 per cent) think the prime minister should quit now and let the party elect a new leader, a new poll has shown, in a damning verdict on Sir Keir Starmer’s premiership.
A further 22 per cent think he should stand down at some point before the next election – meaning that in total almost half of all Labour voters want Sir Keir out of No 10 before the next election.
The YouGov survey of 2,100 people saw just a third (34 per cent) say he should continue to lead the Labour Party into a general election.
The polling was conducted on November 12 and 13, amid furious briefing from Downing Street with health secretary Wes Streeting being accused of plotting to oust the prime minister.
It comes amid growing concern over the direction of the government ahead of next week’s Budget, as the chancellor prepares for sweeping tax rises to fill a £20bn hole in the public finances.
The damning survey, conducted by YouGov for the Times, also found many voters drawing comparisons between this government and the previous Tory administration, with 29 per cent of voters saying the previous government was more competent.
Some 25 per cent said Labour was more competent, while 29 per cent said they were equally poor.
Just over 40 per cent said Rishi Sunak was a better PM than Sir Keir, including 14 per cent of those who voted for Labour at the last election.
It came as the prime minister vowed he would lead Labour into the next election, hitting back at speculation over his position.
Speaking to the Mirror, he said: “Let me be really clear — every minute that’s not spent talking about and dealing with the cost of living is a minute wasted of the political work of this government.
“That’s my response to last week. I remain utterly focused on what matters to me most, which is bearing down on the cost of living and making people feel better off.”
On Monday, the government attempted to bring the fight to Reform UK by unveiling sweeping reforms to the asylum system to crack down on the numbers of people arriving in the UK illegally and prove to voters they are taking action on their priorities.
But the plans have come under fierce attack from up to 20 Labour MPs, with Folkestone and Hythe MP Tony Vaughan, a former immigration lawyer, saying ministers’ rhetoric “encourages the same culture of divisiveness that sees racism and abuse growing in our communities”.
Sarah Owen, chair of the women and equalities committee, labelled the policies “repugnant” while Stella Creasy, the Labour MP for Walthamstow, said the changes were “performatively cruel”, adding: “It doesn’t have to be like this. There is a better way forward rooted in Labour values that also ensures control at our borders.”
Last week, anonymous briefings by unnamed Downing Street sources claimed that Mr Streeting was plotting to replace the prime minister – an allegation the health secretary denied and said was proof of a “toxic culture” in No 10.
Sir Keir apologised to Mr Streeting and later said he had been assured the briefings “didn’t come from Downing Street”, adding: “I will absolutely deal with anybody responsible for briefing against ministers, cabinet ministers or any other ministers.”
