Keir Starmer's personal ratings have fallen to their lowest ever level, according to the latest Opinium poll for the Observer. The Labour leader's approval rating dropped by four points during his first party conference as prime minister, reaching -30, with 24% approving and 50% disapproving of his performance.
The decline, which runs counter to the traditional 'conference bounce', comes amid growing unease within Labour ranks. Last night, Labour MP Rosie Duffield resigned the whip, citing Starmer's 'cruel and unnecessary' policies on winter fuel and the two-child benefit cap. The resignation adds to the sense of disquiet less than three months after Labour's landslide general election victory.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves has also seen her ratings slide to -28, down from -25 the previous weekend, amid warnings of a tough budget on 30 October. Almost twice as many people (34%) thought Starmer made a bad conference speech as thought it was a good one (19%), while 46% had no opinion.
Only 20% of voters believe Labour has been good at providing hope and optimism since its election win, compared to 56% who think it has done badly. Similarly, just 17% think the government is doing well at rebuilding faith in politics, against 58% who disagree.
The only consolation for Starmer is that the Conservative Party, ahead of its conference in Birmingham, is seen as lacking a clear sense of purpose and deeply divided, according to the poll.
