Two controversial but charismatic rivals could ensure the Prime Minister’s time in power comes to a crashing end, says David Williamson.
Sir Keir Starmer’s majority could vanish if Labour voters in key seats peel off to rival parties (Image: Getty Images)
Britons want barnstorming leaders who will upset a status quo which is not working for them – and the trouble for Labour is that Sir Keir Starmer is not seen as the man for the job. Neither of the two leaders with the highest favourability ratings in British politics today leads a party which has ever held power in this country. Each is a colourful, controversial communicator who delights in breaking the traditional rules of electoral engagement.
Reform UK Nigel Farage tops Ipsos’s favourable ratings with 30%. Green party leader Zack Polanski is in second place on 25%. Each is an insurgent, gleefully taking a wrecking ball to the Tory-Labour duopoly which has dominated Westminster politics for generations. They give the impression of being unguarded and spontaneous, as if they are not frightened of voters. They do not sound as if every sentence they utter has been scrutinised by a succession of focus groups.
Stunt-loving Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey has the third highest favourabilty rating (21%). His penchant for bungee-jumping, paddle-boarding and jet ski-riding is beyond parody, but he cannot be accused of being an MP who never gets out of a grey suit; Harold Macmillan and Alec Douglas-Home did not get up to this type of malarkey.
Sir Keir and Kemi Badenoch are in fourth and fifth place in this popularity contest, on 19% and 18% respectively.
The Green Party’s Zack Polanski is an expert at seizing the limelight (Image: Getty)
The Labour and Tory leaders face a stark challenge as they compete for attention and votes. Professional politicians are trained not to shoot from the hip.
If a Prime Minister makes an ill-judged joke about, say, nationalising every golden retriever in the country, he or she can send markets into wild panic. Every time they talk to a member of the public they have to avoid making up policy on the hop.
Such a fraught life pushes politicians to conceal humour and exuberance. The more measured their demeanour, they less authentic they appear.
Unfortunately for Sir Keir, he has the highest unfavourable ratings (61%). This is significantly ahead of Mrs Badenoch (52%), Mr Farage (51%), Sir Ed (34%) and Mr Polanski (30%).
Does any of the matter when we are years away from an election? It certainly does.
Three out of 10 Brits think well of Nigel Farage (Image: Getty)
Chancellor Rachel Reeves will next week deliver a Budget which is widely expected to hike taxes. But six out of 10 voters (59%) have an unfavourable opinion of her; a mere (13%) think favourably of her.
A Government which is about to take more money from the public needs to command trust and project competence. If taxpayers do not have confidence in their representatives then’s the public’s appetite for revolt will intensify.
Right now, 69% of Britons say the country is going in the wrong direction – and Mr Farage and Mr Polanski would relish the chance to point it somewhere new.
