Chancellor’s cuts to ‘public spending’ have been viewed ‘as negative’ for Labour – London Business News | Londonlovesbusiness.com

The prime minister’s net approval ratings sits at -7%, down 10 points from +3 at the beginning of August, and down 26 points from +19% in his first approval rating as prime minister, according to Opinium’s latest poll.

Rishi Sunak’s approval ratings have stayed on -30%, the same as a fortnight ago, whilst Ed Davey’s ratings have dropped slightly, currently sitting at +0% compared to +5% two weeks ago.

Government and prime minister get public backing on riots

Despite the prime minister’s approval rating falling, the public are behind how he and his government have tackled recent riots that broke out across the country – with 43% approving of the way the government has handled the violent disorder. In addition, 39% say they approve of Starmer’s handling of the riots, vs 29% who disapprove.

As sentences for those involved in the riots are handed out, UK voters think the Government has reacted proportionately to the situation (44%), with over a quarter (26%) saying they think they have underreacted. Two in five (37%) think the sentences being handed out have been about right, with a third (33%) revealing they have not been harsh enough.

Looking beyond the government, the police and the courts have emerged as the public’s heroes, with over half (51%) approving of how the police have handled the riots, and half (50%) approving of how the courts have managed their response.

Nigel Farage has received a negative response from the public on his reaction to the riots (21% approve, 36% disapprove). However, Elon Musk (16% approve, 48% disapprove) and Tommy Robinson (12% approve, 49% disapprove) have received an even more negative reaction from UK voters.

Immigration returns as key issue in early days of government

Over a fifth (45%) of the public think immigration is one of the top issues facing the country (up from 37% on polling day), behind health (59%), but level with the economy (also on 45%).

Two thirds (66%) of UK voters still think immigration is too high, and almost half (49%) think immigration has had a negative impact on the country, Britain’s economy (40%) and cultural life in the UK (44%).

50 days of a new government – Keir Starmer’s highlights and lowlights

• Public sector pay rises are seen as the biggest win for the new government (19% believe Starmer has handled this the best so far, versus 5% who think he handled it the worst).
• The government’s handling of the recent riots is another issue where the prime minister is viewed positively, though opinions are mixed (21% think Starmer handled this the best, while 16% think he handled it the worst).
• Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ cuts to public spending are viewed as the biggest negative for the new government (21% think she handled this the worst, versus 3% who think she handled it the best).
• The cancellation of the Rwanda plan has also been poorly received by more people than it has been well-received (15% think it was handled the worst, versus 4% who think it was handled the best).

Adam Drummond, head of political and social at Opinium said, “The idea that condemning rioters was somehow saying concerns about the level of immigration were illegitimate was always a lie and the results in our poll show this quite clearly.

“Strong majorities agree with Keir Starmer’s description of the rioters as ‘thugs’, think that the prison sentences being handed out are appropriate or don’t go far enough, and think it’s fair to arrest people for inciting racial hatred on social media.

“In the same poll, a strong majority believe that levels of immigration are too high and are split on the benefits and drawbacks of immigration to the UK. Although the government have cause to be concerned about how voters view the state of the economy, public services and immigration levels, a strong response to public disorder is not something they find controversial.”