Polling numbers "do not point to re-election" for the Conservatives. That's the view of one prominent pollster as the latest figures continued to make grim reading for the Government.
A survey carried out by Ipsos shows more than half the public has an unfavourable view of the Tories - and even leader Rishi Sunak's own personal popularity is slipping. A poll of 1,000 British adults, carried out between November 25 and 28, found 29% had a favourable opinion of Mr Sunak, down from 34% in October.
Some 39% said they had an unfavourable view, only slightly up from 38%. He remains slightly behind Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, who polled 32% favourable and 38% unfavourable.
More than half the public said they had an unfavourable opinion of the Tories, while only 20% said they had a favourable one – the same proportion that backed the party in October. In contrast, Labour had a net favourability rating of only -1, with 37% backing the party and 38% opposed.
The polling also showed that the public does not like the way things are heading. Some 62% of people thought the country was heading in the wrong direction while only 14% thought the opposite.
Keiran Pedley, director of politics at Ipsos UK, said: “These numbers show the extent of Rishi Sunak’s challenge as he seeks to win the Conservatives a fifth consecutive term in office at the next general election.
“Whilst his own personal poll ratings are solid and comparable to his opposite number Keir Starmer, 6 in 10 Britons think things are heading in the wrong direction and a majority are unfavourable towards the Conservative Party itself – numbers that do not point to re-election for the governing party.”
