Farage would be better PM than Starmer, voters say for first time

Nigel Farage has overtaken Sir Keir Starmer as the nation’s preferred choice of prime minister for the first time.

The Reform UK leader is seen as a better candidate to lead the country by 33 per cent of people, compared with 30 per cent who prefer Sir Keir, a poll shows.

A monthly tracker of political preferences by Ipsos, the polling firm, also shows that Andy Burnham, the mayor of Greater Manchester, is favoured over Sir Keir as a better prime minister.

Meanwhile, Kemi Badenoch, the Conservative Party leader, appears to be enjoying a post-conference bump with voters choosing the Tories over Labour when asked which party they prefer.

The polling is likely to add to speculation that Sir Keir could face a leadership challenge before next May’s local elections, which are expected to result in big losses for Labour.

Although the party’s rules do not allow for MPs to remove their leader, who is directly elected by the membership, Sir Keir could stand down if the Parliamentary Labour Party sees him as a liability.

As recently as July, the Prime Minister led Mr Farage by eight percentage points in the Ipsos monthly poll.

A separate YouGov poll found Labour has hit its lowest-ever poll rating after falling to just 17 per cent of the vote, some 10 percentage points behind Reform UK and just one point ahead of the Greens.

However, the Reform leader’s relentless campaigning on immigration and crime, coupled with a lacklustre Labour Party conference and fears of more tax rises in next month’s Budget, have seen support for Sir Keir ebb away.

His net favourability rating has dropped 3.5 percentage points to minus 40 since last month, while Mrs Badenoch’s has increased by 1.5 points to minus 22 and Mr Farage’s has also increased by 1.5 points to minus nine.

Mr Farage told The Telegraph: “I am humbled by these figures and promise not to let people down.”

The survey of more than 1,100 adults found that as well as a three-point lead for Mr Farage over Sir Keir when it comes to who would be the best prime minister, Sir Keir’s 12-point lead over Mrs Badenoch has been cut to five points since last month.

In a head to head with Mr Burnham, Sir Keir is preferred by just 17 per cent of people, with Mr Burnham seen as a better prime minister by 26 per cent, with 43 per cent saying neither.

On policy issues, Reform came out top when people were asked about each party’s plans for the economy, public services, taxation and immigration.

In the run-up to the Budget, respondents were also asked about possible changes to taxes.

There is widespread support for a wealth tax, with 64 per cent of all voters backing the idea of a 1 per cent annual tax on assets above £10m and 2 per cent on assets over £1bn, with the strongest support coming from over-55s.

When it comes to stamp duty, 42 per cent of voters support abolishing it on the purchase of a main home, 20 per cent oppose abolition, with the rest undecided.

The YouGov poll suggests the Government continues to hit new levels of unpopularity amid reports the Prime Minister could face a leadership challenge within months.

Labour is now polling with YouGov lower under Sir Keir than the Conservatives ever did under Rishi Sunak. The lowest Tory score recorded before the last election was 18 per cent.

Keiran Pedley, Director of Politics at Ipsos UK, said: “Nigel Farage’s slight lead over Keir Starmer in a head to head of who would make a better Prime Minister signifies an intriguing shift in the political landscape. Our data also shows a growing public confidence in Reform’s proposed plans for the economy and immigration, which Britons consistently rank at the top of the issues that they see as most important to them.”

[Source: Daily Telegraph]