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 four points during his first party conference as prime minister, reaching -30, with 24% approving and 50% disapproving.
The decline comes despite the conference being billed as a celebration of Labour's return to power after 14 years. Starmer's ratings had already collapsed by 45 points since July to -26 before the event. The poll also showed that almost twice as many people thought his conference speech was bad (34%) as thought it was good (19%).
Chancellor Rachel Reeves also saw her ratings fall to -28, down from -25 the previous weekend, amid warnings of a tough budget on 30 October. Only 20% of voters believe Labour has provided hope and optimism since its general election victory, while 56% think it has done badly in this regard.
The resignation of Labour MP Rosie Duffield over Starmer's policies on winter fuel and the two-child benefit cap has added to unease within the party. However, the poll offered some consolation, finding that the Conservative Party is seen as lacking a clear sense of purpose and deeply divided ahead of its conference.
