A donations scandal and a disputed ruling to withhold pension payments shrouded Stammer’s new government.
Favourability ratings for the 62-year-old former lawyer, who took over as Labour leader in 2020, plummeted to the lowest level, YouGov reported, citing an October 8 poll.
More than six in 10 Britons now dislike Starmer, YouGov reported.
“It’s easily the worst start to a government’s time in office in living memory – and it wasn’t as if Labour were that popular anyway,” said Tim Bale, professor of politics at Queen Mary University of London, for Al Jazeera.
Starmer, who led his then-opposition party to a resounding election victory and a large majority in Parliament on July 4, swept the Conservatives in power for over a decade into the shadows.
” It’s the biggest freebie problem they need to eliminate because it’s severely damaged their brand,” said Bale.
“The main issues are always long-term: the economy and the NHS. If they can get that right, then the government stands a chance of recovery.”
A scandal over donations has dominated headlines for weeks.
Starmer, whose annual pay is now about 167,000 pounds ($218,000), declared on a register of ministers‘ interests yesterday that he received freebies worth more than 100,000 pounds ($131,000) over the past five years.
He accepted more gifts than any MP over the same period, including some after he was elected PM.
