More than half of Britons expect the economic conditions to get worse in the next year, according to a new poll in another sign that Sir Keir Starmer’s political honeymoon is over.
The Ipsos survey showed a sharp fall in optimism since the General Election in July.
A third of adults in Britain expected the economy then to improve over the following year, with 43 per believing it would get worse, giving a net score of -10.
But now 56 per are braced for economic conditions to deteriorate, and 21 remain upbeat about prospects, a net score of -35
Asked about their personal financial circumstances, 44 per cent expect them to worsen over the upcoming year, and 18 per cent improve, a net score of -26.
The latter compares to +three in November 2014, -10 in November 2013, -34 in March 2011, -13 in April 2009, and -25 in November 2008, when this question was also polled.
The findings contrast with the mood of “Things Can Only Get Better” when Tony Blair’s New Labour came to power in 1997.
They also come as the row rumbles on over cutting winter fuel payments for millions of pensioners and as Chancellor Rachel Reeves is warning of more tough choices on public spending and tax rises in the October 30 Budget.
A third of adults now say they are satisfied with the way Sir Keir is doing his job as Prime Minister, down from 37 per cent in July , with 54 per cent dissatisfied, up 24 points.
The main change, behind the higher level dissatisfaction, is that in the election month, 33 per cent said they “did not know” whether he was performing well as Labour leader, and this figure is now down to 13 per cent.
A similar trend can be seen for the Government, with 25 per cent satisfied, down two points, and 62 per cent dissatisfied, up 14 points.
But this is still significantly better that the dismal scores being notched up by the Tories before the election.
Two thirds of Labour supporters at the General Election believe Sir Keir is doing a good job as Prime Minister, down from 72 per cent in July.
A quarter, 24 per cent, are satisfied with Rachel Reeves as Chancellor (-10 from July), and 46 per cent dissatisfied (+21).
These are higher levels of dissatisfaction than Rishi Sunak ever achieved as Chancellor, but his successors had worse scores at times.
Only a third of adults agree that the Labour administration is competent, with 45 per cent disagreeing.
But this is far better than those for Rishi Sunak’s government, of 14 per cent believing it was competent in May, and 68 per cent taking the opposite view.
Britons are split over whether Sir Keir has what it takes to be a good Prime Minister, with 40 per cent saying he has these attributes, and 43 per cent saying he has not.
Forty-three per cent say they are “more fearful” of what the new Government will do, with 35 per cent saying “more hopeful,” more downbeat findings than in 2010 when there was the Conservative/Liberal Democrat Coalition, though this is due to more people sitting on the fence rather than being more fearful.
