Keir Starmer hammer blow as Labour’s popularity plunges | Politics | News
Keir Starmer has been dealt another hammer blow at the hands of Nigel Farage’s Reform UK. Historically the Conservatives and Labour have held a grip on elections and popularity. However, Nigel Farageโs party continues to deliver massive blows to traditional parties.
In arguably the biggest blow yet, a shocking poll revealed that Labourโs popularity has plunged to the lowest level in six years. Latest figures in a YouGov poll for The Times and Sky News showed just 20% of people would vote for Starmerโs party, while Reform leads the way in England, Scotland and Wales. Labourโs figures are only one point down on the previous week but marked the worst result since 2019 highlighting the partyโs dwindling popularity.
Reform led the weekly voting intention poll, with 28% of respondents saying they intended to vote for the party. Farageโs party also led across every region except from in the capital, where Labour topped the poll.
Only 17% of people said they would vote for the Conservatives whilst the Liberal Democrats followed closely behind with 16%.
The eye opening poll, which saw 2,439 adults surveyed from August 25-26, has prompted ministers to deny the party was “running scared” from Reform.
Nick Thomas-Symonds, the European relations minister, was asked on Wednesday whether the government was “running scared” from Reform.
He told BBC Radio 4โs Today programme: “No, absolutely not.”
He said the government was doing “the hard yards of delivery for the British people” and added: “What Nigel Farage does is to stoke problems and offer empty promises for their solution.โ
The minister defended Labour’s popularity, telling Sky News: “Weโve had to take what we know are very difficult decisions to stabilise the public finances.”
Nigel Farageโs party swept to an astonishing victory in Mayโs local elections, gaining 677 councillors and 10 councils, many more than experts had predicted.
The party has also led in every single national opinion poll since early April, with Mr Farage claiming Reform UK is โnow the main opposition partyโ.
