
Fresh blow to Starmer as Labour's approval rating slumps to its lowest EVER level - with just 13 per cent happy with government's record
The Government's approval rating slipped to minus 55, according to pollsters YouGov.
Just 13 per cent of the public included in the survey said they approved of the Government's record since returning to power under Sir Keir last summer - the same percentage as the previous week.
But those who disapproved slipped by another percentage point, down to 68 per cent.
It meant the net approval rating lurched to a record low for this administration.
The weekly poll makes grim reading for Labour HQ, and follows a series of blows to Sir Keir's authority, including fresh accusations he has failed to get a hold of the small boats crisis, and claims he has presided over a 'two-tier' justice system.
He also had to deal with the resignation of his homelessness minister over a rental home row.
The YouGov data came after it was officially confirmed more than 50,000 migrants have arrived in the UK after crossing the English Channel since Labour won the 2024 general election.
Analysis claimed the milestone was reached in 401 days of the Starmer government, compared with 603 days for Rishi Sunak's administration, and more than 1,000 days under Boris Johnson's.
Liz Truss did not last long enough to reach the landmark, although a total of 10,532 migrants arrived in the UK after crossing the Channel during the 49 days of her premiership.
Figures this week showed Labour freed more than 26,000 criminals as part of its early release scheme.
This included hundreds of serious offenders who were handed sentences of more than a decade behind bars.
The figures suggested 45,000 criminals could have their sentences cut in the programme's first year, which was designed to ease pressure on Britain's overcrowded prisons.
There have also been claims police under Labour have been treating certain right-wing protesters more severely than minority groups - a theory pushed by former Donald Trump ally Elon Musk.
And beleaguered shopkeepers have been told not to publicise the identities of suspected shoplifters, despite concerns over-stretched police are effectively powerless to clamp down on thieves.
Last week, homelessness minister Rushanara Ali became the fourth Labour minister under Sir Keir to have left their role over a personal matter.
She was accused of 'staggering hypocrisy' amid claims she ejected tenants from one of her properties, before putting it back on the market for an extra £700 a month in rent.
And the economy remains dire, amid claims Chancellor Rachel Reeves will have to increase taxes substantially this autumn to fill a £50 billion black hole.
YouGov polling has always shown Labour to have a negative approval rating since returning to power for the first time since Gordon Brown was Prime Minister.
But the country was largely split down the middle in the early days of Sir Keir's premiership, with just a couple of percentage points between those who thought the Government was doing a good job, and those who disagreed.
And it has steadily gotten worse, with brief increases in approval followed by extended periods where public satisfaction diminishes.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Independent
16 minutes ago
- The Independent
The tax change Starmer is being urged to do to improve UK finances
Sir Keir Starmer is facing growing pressure to introduce a wealth tax to address a significant shortfall in public finances. New polling indicates that 91 per cent of Labour members support taxing the rich more, with 84 per cent also advocating for an end to the two-child benefit cap. Senior Labour figures, including Angela Rayner and Anneliese Dodds, have previously urged consideration of wealth taxes as an alternative to departmental cuts. The survey also highlights widespread concern among Labour members regarding party discipline, with 74 per cent believing challenging controversial legislation should not result in suspension. Critics within the party warn that the leadership is out of step with its membership and risks losing support if it does not adopt a more progressive policy direction.


BBC News
17 minutes ago
- BBC News
Afghans resettled in UK affected by new MoD data breach
Thousands of Afghans brought to safety in the UK have had their personal data exposed, after a Ministry of Defence (MoD) sub-contractor suffered a data breach. The names, passport information and Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (Arap) details of up to 3,700 Afghans have potentially been affected after Inflite The Jet Centre, which provides ground-handling services for flights at London Stansted airport, suffered a cyber-security comes just a month after it was a revealed another major data breach in 2022 leaked the details of almost 19,000 people who had asked to come to the UK in order to flee the Taliban. The government said the incident "has not posed any threat to individuals' safety, nor compromised any government systems." There is currently no evidence to suggest that any data has been released Afghans affected are believed to have travelled to the UK between January and March 2024, under a resettlement scheme for those who worked with British troops. An email sent out by the Afghan resettlement team on Friday afternoon warned their families that personal information may have been exposed."This may include passport details (including name, date of birth, and passport number) and Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (Arap) reference numbers," it affected also include British military personnel and former Conservative government ministers, the BBC understands.A government spokesperson said: "We were recently notified that a third party sub-contractor to a supplier experienced a cyber security incident involving unauthorised access to a small number of its emails that contained basic personal information."We take data security extremely seriously and are going above and beyond our legal duties in informing all potentially affected individuals." Inflite The Jet Centre said in a statement it believes "the scope of the incident was limited to email accounts only" and has reported it to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO). The BBC has contacted the ICO for comment. The incident follows a February 2022 incident in which the personal data of nearly 19,000 Afghans who had applied to move to the UK under the Arap scheme was mistakenly leaked by a British official, leading to thousands of Afghans being secretly relocated to the UK. The leaked spreadsheet contained the names, contact details and some family information of the people potentially at risk of harm from the Taliban. That incident was made public for the first time in July of this year.


BBC News
17 minutes ago
- BBC News
Primary pupils in Midlothian added to WhatsApp group with 'nude photo requests'
Children at a primary school in Midlothian were added to a WhatsApp group in which they were told to send explicit have launched inquiries into the malicious group, which told pupils "not to let parents know" they had been added to the pupils affected are in primary six at Paradykes Primary in Loanhead. Such pupils are typically aged nine or 10.A spokesperson for Midlothian Council said support was available to children affected by the incident. The local authority said the group had not been accessed using council-issued devices given to children at the start of term on were sent a warning to check their children's phones and remove them from the group by the school on Thursday. An email from the school's head teacher, seen by BBC Scotland News, said some of the messages were "highly inappropriate, referring explicitly to body parts" and "requesting nude photos".It added that 84 people were members of the group, warning it "went beyond" children solely from is understood some of the children were targeted on their personal devices.A council spokesperson said: "The head teacher at Paradykes Primary emailed P6 parents today after a parent reported concerns about the online safety of children on a WhatsApp group."The head teacher has passed the matter to the police, and the council will issue guidance to all parents in Midlothian on how to keep their child safe online."Support is available to any Paradykes Primary School pupil upset by this incident, if required." Guidelines issued by WhatsApp, which is owned by Facebook parent company Meta, state the messaging service should not be used by those under the age of the was lowered from 16 last Scotland said inquiries were ongoing, but were at an early stage.A WhatsApp spokesperson added: "We give all users options to control who can add them to groups. "The first time you receive a message from an unknown number and when you are added to a group, we give you more context and the option to exit or block and report."