Sir Keir Starmer's attempt to reboot his premiership in the New Year has been dealt a severe blow, with a fresh opinion poll showing the Labour Party languishing in a dismal third place.
Polling Disaster Puts Labour Behind Rivals
Research conducted by More in Common has delivered grim news for the government, placing Labour on just 19 per cent support, a drop of two points since before the Christmas period. The Conservatives gained one point to reach 23 per cent, while Nigel Farage's insurgent Reform UK party held a commanding lead with 31 per cent.
This alarming data follows a YouGov survey from the previous day, which marked the first time Labour had fallen to third position in such polling. The figures emerged as Sir Keir prepared for the first Prime Minister's Questions of 2026, with his party reportedly engulfed by internal strife.
Cabinet Tensions and Leadership Speculation
Amid the turmoil, allies of the Prime Minister have been forced to retaliate against what they term 'idiots' jostling for position, following claims that Scottish Labour MPs are agitating for a change in leadership. The infighting overshadowed a Cabinet meeting where Sir Keir, in a move criticised as robotic, read out a scripted 'rousing' speech.
He urged ministers to move past months of factional disputes and concentrate on the ongoing cost-of-living crisis, listing government achievements like raising the minimum wage and providing energy bill subsidies. The Cabinet's response was described as bleak.
Number 10 was compelled to deny reports that Sir Keir's chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, had warned ministers the public perceived the government as suffering from an 'emotion deficit'.
Starmer Vows to Fight Amid Historic Unpopularity
During a lengthy political discussion focused on looming local elections, the Prime Minister conceded his party faced the 'fight of our political lives' after a troubled first 18 months in office. He insisted he could defy the opinion polls that currently rank him as the most unpopular prime minister in recorded history.
The latest YouGov survey underscores the scale of his challenge, finding that 74 per cent of voters disapprove of his performance, with only 18 per cent approving. In a further humiliating comparison, his net favourability rating of minus 56 is broadly similar to the minus 58 recorded in the UK for the political wing of Hamas.
Seizing on the disarray, Nigel Farage mocked the Prime Minister at a press conference, stating: 'I'm not even sure he knows what he's saying any more... this is a man politically who is drowning.' The comment caps a disastrous political opening to the year for Sir Keir Starmer and his embattled administration.
