Keir Starmer Approval Rating Hits Record Low:
How the UK Prime Minister Became Britain’s Most Unpopular Leader
Keir Starmer popularity collapse: Labour PM’s approval ratings plummet to historic depths just months after landslide election victory
LONDON — Six months after Labour’s commanding electoral victory ended 14 years of Conservative rule, Prime Minister Keir Starmer has become one of the most unpopular UK prime ministers in modern British history, with approval ratings that have collapsed at unprecedented speed.
Keir Starmer Approval Ratings: The Numbers
Recent polling reveals just 18% of Britons hold a favourable opinion of Prime Minister Keir Starmer, while 72% view him unfavourably. This produces a net Keir Starmer approval rating of -54, placing the Labour leader in territory once occupied only by Boris Johnson on his resignation day and Jeremy Corbyn at his nadir as opposition leader.
The Keir Starmer popularity decline is particularly striking. Since January 2025, Starmer’s net favourability among his own 2024 Labour voters has collapsed from +21 to -14, with 53% of Labour voters now viewing their own prime minister unfavourably. In UK voting intention polls, Labour has fallen from 26% in January to just 18% by autumn, recording their lowest ever YouGov figure of 17% in October 2024.
Is Keir Starmer the Most Unpopular Prime Minister Ever?
While Keir Starmer’s current ratings represent a historic low for his tenure, context matters for those searching “most unpopular UK prime minister.” He is not currently the least popular PM ever recorded: Liz Truss’s final rating was -70, while Rishi Sunak recorded -57 during the 2024 general election campaign. What distinguishes the Keir Starmer approval rating story is the velocity of decline from the heights of Labour’s July 2024 electoral victory.
Why is Keir Starmer So Unpopular? Key Controversies Explained
Labour Freebies Scandal
The government’s troubles began almost immediately after taking office. The 2024 Labour Party freebies controversy saw Keir Starmer accepting expensive gifts including designer clothing and concert tickets, coinciding with austerity measures like the Winter Fuel Payment cut. This led to widespread accusations of hypocrisy that damaged the new prime minister’s approval ratings.
Keir Starmer Immigration Comments Backlash
Immigration rhetoric in May 2025 proved particularly damaging to Keir Starmer’s popularity. When Starmer suggested uncontrolled immigration could turn Britain into an “island of strangers,” the comments drew accusations of echoing far-right rhetoric. Labour’s vote share declined by 21 percentage points in council wards with over 20% Muslim residents following the controversy.
Ministerial Resignations Under Keir Starmer
Internal Labour Party turmoil compounded external pressures on the prime minister. Multiple ministerial resignations followed, including Anneliese Dodds over foreign aid cuts and Rushanara Ali over housing issues. The October 2024 resignation of Chief of Staff Sue Gray raised further questions about internal stability in Keir Starmer’s government.
UK Economy Under Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves
The economic environment has provided little respite for the embattled prime minister. The UK economy has been flatlining under Labour, with tax increases under Chancellor Rachel Reeves adding to fiscal pressures. Chancellor Reeves has suffered alongside Keir Starmer in the polls, with her net favourability sinking to -57, roughly equal to Kwasi Kwarteng’s catastrophic mini-budget ratings.
Labour’s autumn 2024 conference proved disastrous for public perception. Polling showed 50% of voters believed Labour had a bad week, with only 20% saying the party performed well. Even among Labour’s own 2024 voters, opinion was split almost evenly on the government’s performance.
Reform UK Surges as Keir Starmer Struggles
Perhaps most troubling for Keir Starmer and Labour is the ascendancy of Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party. Reform has opened a clear 10-point lead in recent polling, with Nigel Farage now leading Keir Starmer as preferred Prime Minister by five points, 31% to 26%.
Recent City AM/Freshwater Strategy polling shows Reform UK on 31% of the vote share, with the Conservatives and Labour tied on 20% and 19% respectively. The traditional two-party system appears fractured, threatening Labour’s grip on power despite their massive parliamentary majority.
Will Keir Starmer Resign? Labour MPs Discuss Replacement
The situation has deteriorated to the point where Labour MPs are openly discussing replacing Keir Starmer as prime minister. Over half of Labour voters—51%—agreed that parliamentary elections should be called if Starmer were to resign, suggesting even the party’s base has lost confidence in the government’s mandate.
Yet potential Keir Starmer replacements are scarce. Andy Burnham remains the most popular Labour figure with the British public, with voters divided 30% favourable to 28% unfavourable, but even he offers limited appeal beyond Labour circles.
Keir Starmer Approval Rating Compared to Previous UK Prime Ministers
Political historians note that draatic shifts in prime ministerial approval ratings are not unprecedented in British politics. John Major’s approval rating fell to -59 in 1994, Theresa May’s to -49 in 2019, and Boris Johnson’s to -53 in 2022. What distinguishes Keir Starmer’s situation is achieving these historic depths so soon after a landslide general election victory.
Net UK government approval ratings have fallen from -47 to -57 over 2025, now roughly level with approval of the Conservative government before they lost the 2024 election.
What’s Next for Keir Starmer and the Labour Government?
The question facing Westminster is whether Keir Starmer’s unpopularity represents a temporary trough or a terminal decline. With major policy challenges looming on the economy, immigration, NHS reform, and public services, Starmer’s government faces the prospect of governing with historically weak public support, even as it maintains a substantial parliamentary majority.
For a prime minister who promised stability and competence after years of Conservative chaos, the irony is stark. The honeymoon period for Keir Starmer and Labour never even began.
We don't only want Starmer out we need Labour out too. The only balls they have is wrecking balls.
Starmer is not irrelevant even abroad. From May 7th it will be officially over for the communist Starmer. Labour will also be finished for the next 20 years.