Keir Starmer mulls Partygate investigator Sue Gray for chief of staff Starmers reluctance to criticise big business or show solidarity with workers has shifted political ground in the UK even further to the right. The Opinium figures, which will raise further concerns within Labour over the party leader's performance, shows that the prime minister has a two-point lead over his opponent. Asked if they wanted their home to remain British, Falkland Islanders said Yes by 99.8 per cent . As February ends, the Prime Minister remains mired in an extended poll slump, while the Labour leader and his party continue to ride high. Public Sector. Interview with MP Neil Coyle after Commons suspension: Why the drinking Latest news, analysis and comment on migration in Europe and beyond. Many voters don't know what Labour stand for. Today, Sir Keir Starmer The remainder say they neither support nor oppose or they do now know). Estimated Reading Time: 3-5 minutes. But the problem runs deeper. A survey of party members in March this year found that Tony Blair was just as popular with them as Jeremy Corbyn. The Partygate investigator Sue Gray is a likely candidate to be Keir Starmer's chief of staff, as the Labour leader searches for a veteran civil . Worryingly for Rishi Sunak, only a minority of his own voters, 43%, back a Sunak-led government when it comes to managing the economy. Keir Starmer's 'template-based strategy' is straight out of the Hence some of the changes to the leaders office which he has made since then. And she heads a Conservative Party barely able to conceal its disarray after such a long spell in government, just as Britain is about to lunge from an energy and cost-of-living crisis into full-blown recession. Sunaks handling of the NI protocol suggests a leader and a Tory party with more left in the tank than some think. More than six in ten (61%) of Rishi Sunaks voters support the measure, as do 57% of Labour voters, suggesting this policy will land well in the country as a whole. February was another good month of polling for the Labour Party and Keir Starmer, who ended January holding a 21% lead over the Conservatives. But his handling of the Northern Ireland protocol changes this week suggests a leader with more in the tank than critics have allowed. Political Monitor. It also reveals that Starmers party holds a narrow two-point lead, compared with a three-point lead in the last poll a fortnight ago. And Ipsos MORI has Starmer 13 points ahead, while other pollsters also show him outperforming his party. Voices Keir Starmer can afford to be polite to Liz Truss for one key reason - he knows he is winning. However, many within Labours ranks found Starmers performance to be flat and criticised his line of questioning. Much as I detest Starmer and the current Labour Party he will likely win back the ugly racist Brexit gammons who voted Tory or Farage last election, he won't loose safe seats like mine, and he won't care if a few of the more comfortable and liberal Tory seats flip Lib Dem. After languishing stubbornly behind the government in surveys since his election to head Labour in early 2020, Starmer is now reported to have a seven-point lead over the Tories new leader, Liz Truss, when the public is asked who would do a better job as prime minister. Overall, more than half the country, 54%, say they do not know who to back on the economy or would rather not say. She has managed the difficult feat of appearing to be both opportunistic and a political ideologue for big business who lacks the popular touch. Neither Labour or the Cabinet Office denied a report by Sky News' that the Labour leader who current polls suggest could . If Blairites are now on the rise once again in the Labour Party, what about the man himself? Time. His party trails Labour by, Sunak has had luck along the way. He could hardly have been in a weaker position than he was when he took over as Tory leader in October. The get together was reeling from its worst efficiency on the poll field since 1935, riven by inner divisions, below hearth over its report of tackling antisemitism and going through an seemingly unassailable Boris Johnson atop an 80-seat majority. In a speech in July he said rebooting the economy would be a Labour governments defining task. Rishi Sunak is shaping up to be a prime minister Keir Starmer should be The protocol deal has not yet been approved. Only England and Wales jurisdiction apply in all legal matters. After the loss of Hartlepool in a by-election in May and a clash with Angela Rayner, the deputy Labour leader, over the reshuffle that followed, he and his party seemed to suffer a crisis of confidence. Indeed, Labours biggest backer, the union Unite, has reduced its contributions to the party in retaliation for Starmers efforts to shift away from the socialist policies of Corbyn. Opinion Rishi Sunak. Sorting the protocol was in that category, a sensible bit of ground-clearing and confidence-building. He has become the voice of a new populist grassroots politics filling the void on the left created by Starmers all-too visible absence. UK Labour leader Starmer picks 'Partygate' investigator Sue Gray as Having dealt with the party machinery at the last conference, the plan was always that the next one will focus on setting out our plans for Britain. This takeover of party machinery has crucially extended to the partys finances and fundraising efforts. At various dates in the run up to the next United Kingdom general election, various organisations have carried out opinion polling to gauge the opinions that voters hold towards political leaders. Dominic Raab's popularity falls to -57 amid bullying inquiry . It was the last bit that was telling, implying that there was no one around him who was prepared to bring him bad news honest feedback being a basic requirement of any functioning organisation, as Starmer would have known from running the Crown Prosecution Service. All rights reserved. Although they remain neck-and-neck on 38% each in the traditionally Conservative-voting Blue Wall, Starmer has opened up a lead of 7% in the Red Wall constituencies (three points lower than the 10-point margin he held at the end of January) and a 9% lead across the whole of Great Britain (three points more than at the end of January). . Starmer ally Powell rejects 'stitch up' claim: Sue Gray 'impartial and The DUP was not allowed to hijack the launch and mobilise the European Research Group. But dont underestimate this prime minister, either. If you do not have an account you can register here. But it remains to be seen whether the announcement of a deal with the European Union over the Northern Ireland Protocol will lead to a reversal in the Governments polling fortunes. Keir Starmer is finally ahead in the polls - but at what cost? Polling for Ipsos MORI showed the Tories taking the lead in front of Labour again amid a vaccine bou A senior Labour source said: We know what needs to be done between now and the next election and are ticking everything off on the list. But his U-turn looks all the more foolhardy given the current energy crisis and the Tory governments massive bailouts of suppliers. He also had the shameless Johnson and the Faragiste Tory press bursting to make trouble. Keir Starmer, the leader of Britain's opposition Labour Party, has picked senior civil servant Sue Gray as his new chief of staff, Sky News reported on Thursday, as the party prepares for a national election next year. Overall, 57% of all voters support this, rising to 78% of Rishi Sunaks own voters. Labour ahead of Tories by two points, but Labours leader failing to make a personal breakthrough. . Nevertheless, this week highlighted some early if incomplete signs that Sunak is starting to change the Tory party. Labour leader Keir Starmer addresses the annual Labour Party conference in Brighton, England, on 9 September 2021 (AFP) Keir Starmer's wait-it-out approach may finally be . While their lead of 9% in the Blue Wall represents a slight one-point narrowing in comparison to the end of last month, the partys lead over the Conservatives has altogether grown during February by two points in the Red Wall and by six points nationally. Poll says 56% of people think . Labours registered donationsin 2022 equalled 21.34 million millions more than the rival Conservative Party, figures published Thursday show. In an interview with the New Statesman last month, Tarry offered a damning assessment of the Labour leader, accusing him of tearing the party apart to erase any trace of Corbynism, despite his predecessor taking the party in 2017 to within an inch of an election victory. Keir Starmer's stance on rail strikes raises questions over strategy The date range for opinion polls is from the 2019 United Kingdom general election, held on 12 December, to the present day. In a similar vein, Starmer has strictly distanced Labour from the spate of strikes breaking out as workers struggle with escalating costs, despite earlier committing towork shoulder to shoulder with the unions to stand up for working people, tackle insecure work and low pay Oppose Tory attacks on the right to take industrial action and the weakening of workplace rights., While Starmer has agreed, when pressed, that workers have a right to strike in principle, his office has condemned strikes, like the rail unions, when they actually take place. Like Toto the dog pulling back the wizard's curtain, the rancorous and increasingly risible leadership contest is exposing rifts within the SNP as never before; instead of revealing a kindly old . On the eve of his big speech, Keir Starmer showed his frustration at being constantly compared with two of his predecessors - Jeremy Corbyn and Tony Blair - and declined to say to which of them he was closer. The questions differ slightly from pollster to pollster: Some pollsters ask voters which potential Prime Minister/Chancellor of the Exchequer pairing they would prefer: Rishi Sunak and Jeremy Hunt for the Conservative Party or Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves for the Labour Party. The appetite for a more radical approach to the Tory government has been highlighted by the rapid rise of Mick Lynch, leader of the striking Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers union (RMT). But worse, in colluding with the narrative of the Tories and establishment media, he has made a dirty word of socialism of any kind. Focaldata found that Starmer is regarded as more trustworthy than Johnson, better equipped to make tough decisions and more competent. Millionaires clearly want different policy priorities, but it matters to public opinion who is influencing the people who are supposed to be working in our interests?. Do you believe Keir Starmer's words? Political Monitor. Andrew Fisher, Corbyns former director of policy, said Starmers preference for private donations may backfire. Labour extended its lead nationally to 27%, the widest margin it has held since Sunak became PM in October, while also opening up a lead of 28% in the Red Wall (another record lead . However, while Labour has an overwhelming lead on every major poll as a party, the popularity battle between Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer is far tighter. Labour MPs and party officials say the fundraising operation is far more professionalized than at any other point during Labours last 13 years in the wilderness. For many, he is also indelibly linked to other New Labour cash scandals, including a rowover a watered-down advertising banfor Formula 1 just after F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone gave millions to the party. The head of the opposition has resolutely avoided offering any kind of vision for Britain, fearful it might be construed as vaguely socialist, and has even been averse to robustly challenging the ruling Tory party. The polling companies listed are members of the British Polling Council (BPC) and abide by its disclosure rules. The next election is expected in 2024, but it could be sooner if Liz Truss's huge tax giveaway backfiresmore than it already has. The damage done by the polarisation, recklessness, venality and destructiveness of the May-Johnson-Truss years casts long shadows that will shape the politics of this decade. The Labour leader said he is glad the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) is taking time to consider . Back in June, his spokesperson said: Weve been clear in the position that the strikes shouldnt go ahead. The fact weve climbed out of the hole we were in was never a given. Starmer and Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves have met hundreds of executives over the past year in what has been called the salmon and scrambled eggs offensive a riff on Blair and his own Chancellor Gordon Browns so-called prawn cocktail offensive of the 1990s. This, to me, points to a considerable reservoir of voter discontent with the available options on left and right.. Rishi Sunak is shaping up to be a prime minister Keir Starmer should be wary of,Sunak's handling of the NI protocol suggests a leader - and a Tory party - with more left in the tank than some think, says Guardian columnist Martin Kettle It is, admittedly, early days for such speculation. His website and blog can be found at www.jonathan-cook.net. Starmer certainly is not doing so. A backlash is coming. UK Labour leader Starmer picks 'Partygate' investigator Sue Gray as Sir Keir's office declined to comment, saying it did not offer 'running commentaries' on opinion polls. Imagine Starmer is Polling Badly. Now Times That by Ten Sue Gray's appointment as chief of staff is a coup for Keir Starmer The poll also found voters backing Keir Starmer over Rishi Sunak. How Sir Keir Starmer's Labour would run a government - The Telegraph But other Starmer allies dismissed the findings, claiming it was difficult to draw . How well is Keir Starmer doing as Labour leader? - YouGov UK Labour leader Starmer picks 'Partygate' investigator Gray as chief March 2, 2023 10:16 am CET. That has included reneging on his commitment to take back into public ownership key utilities, including gas and electricity. August 20, 2022 7:00 am (Updated August 21, 2022 9:35 am) Labour holds a 10-point lead over the Conservatives as Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak attack each other in public - but Sir Keir Starmer's . Prof Goodwin said: Keir Starmers Labour Party continues to hold a strong lead when it comes to managing the economy, which is also the most important issue for voters. Starmer is ahead in best PM polling. Start your Independent Premium subscription today. Why wont anyone tell me anything?. Nicola Sturgeons departure has disarmed the Scottish separatist threat for a while.. Only a minority of 2019 Conservative Party voters, 43%, back a Sunak-led Conservative government to manage the economy. But Starmers success - assuming it can be maintained - has come at an extraordinarily high political price. He has banned Labours front bench from joining picket lines, an edict that has been defied by several of them and looked all the more risible as even barristers have begun taking industrial action. Only 17% say a Conservative government with Rishi Sunak as prime minister. Either way, were these numbers replicated at a general election you would be looking at a solid Labour majority of 240-260 and only around 100 Conservative MPs in the Commons. But theres no sense of what the wider project is.. Sir Keir took over his party's leadership from Jeremy Corbyn in April last year, and by September the party was ahead of the Conservatives in some polls for the first time since Mr Johnson became prime minister. Meanwhile, he has differentiated Labour simply by eschewing the more indefensible forms of predatory capitalism the current Conservative leadership embraces. The choreography of the protocol deal was also bold. One Labour MP described Alli as absolutely lovely and very persuasive. Referring to his status as one of the worlds only openly gay Muslim politicians, they added: You should never underestimate someone from his background who has fought that hard for LGBT rights.. The following polls asked about voters' opinions on Sin Berry and Jonathan Bartley, co-leaders of the Green Party from 4 September 2018 to 31 July 2021. Sir Keir Starmer's Labour Party is out of touch with public opinion, poll has found. One month ago he was on -3 in the equivalent BMG poll and in June the number of people who were satisfied was the same as those dissatisfied. Labour is up 5-points on last week, perhaps suggesting a bounce after the autumn statement, although it is too early to know. Starmer has sacked one shadow minister, Sam Tarry, the partner of Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner, after Tarry declared that every worker should get a pay rise in line with inflation. His party trails Labour by more than 20 points in the polls. Keir Starmer grilled by politics students at St. Columb's Starmer has transplanted many of Blairs favorite donor point-people into his close circle to build a powerhouse fundraising team. In my dealings with Gray when I was political secretary, I found her . The hire of Alli as chair of campaign financing was a particularly adroit decision, according to several MPs and party officials. Starmer may scrape a win at the next general election, against an internally divided Conservative governing party only too obviously divorced from the concerns of much of the electorate. Keir Starmer is finally ahead in the polls but at what cost? The findings which show the Liberal Democrats on 11 per cent, the Greens on 5 per cent and Reform UK on 3 per cent suggest Sir Keir is currently on course to become Prime Minister at the next general election and may win a Commons majority. Latest news, analysis and comment on defense in Europe and beyond. but more one-sided than a North Korean election held at gunpoint. He is very much, here is the problem and this is the solution. LONDON Keir Starmer is reportedly considering hiring Sue Gray, the senior civil servant who investigated pandemic rule-busting parties in Boris Johnson's government, as his chief of staff. And further underscoring how divorced she is from the public mood, Truss intends to reverse a planned rise in what is a historically low rate of corporation tax. This was a fall of six points, while Mr Johnson saw his popularity climb by eight points to 40%. Middle East Eye. No one was ever charged with any wrongdoing. Keir Starmer faced a grilling from students during a visit to St. Columb's College on Friday. Updated on 2 March 2023 at 8:00. The following polls asked about voters' opinions on Jeremy Corbyn, the former leader of the Labour Party until 4 April 2020. Support for the Labour Party has grown in the aftermath of the Autumn Statement, a new poll reveals today.Aaron Chown. To me, Starmer is hyper-competent as a manager and organiser. The Leader of the Opposition leads by ten points or more on being in touch with ordinary people (39% to 20%), they understand the problems facing Britain (50% to 37%), they are an . That view is backed by Labours left-wing Momentum faction, which is preparing a showdown with Starmer at the party conference. Latest news, analysis and comment from POLITICOs editors and guest writers on the continent. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer is trailing Boris Johnson as the British public's preferred prime minister by 17 percentage points, according to a new poll. Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt leaves 11 Downing Street, LondonJames Manning. Left-wing party members who joined during Corbyns tenure have been fleeing in droves, depriving Labour of desperately needed income to fight the next general election. Starmer turned in some more relaxed performances at Prime Ministers Questions, starting to look more confident and suggesting that he had finally got the measure of Johnson.