THE Tories’ popularity is now lower than it has ever been, according to polling from a leading firm.
An Ipsos survey run for London’s Evening Standard found that Rishi Sunak’s party was polling at just 20%, the lowest level since recorded the firm’s political monitor began in 1978.
The Standard reported that previous lows for the Tory party on the Ipsos monitor were 23% in December 2022, shortly after Sunak took power from Liz Truss, 23% in 1997 after Tony Blair’s landslide, and 22% under John Major in late 1994 and early 1995.
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The Conservatives – who rumours say are considering calling a snap General Election in May – polled at 27 points behind Keir Starmer’s Labour party (47%).
Sunak’s approval rating is also at a record low of -54, with 73% of people saying they were dissatisfied with him versus 19% who approve of his work.
Starmer is also seeing his popularity drop, with a net score of -26 (29% satisfied versus 55% not).
In further bad news for the Conservative’s, Nigel Farage’s Reform UK polled at eight per cent, which could squeeze Sunak’s party from the right.
The LibDems polled at nine per cent, and the Greens eight per cent.
Gideon Skinner, the head of political research at Ipsos, said: “The historical comparisons continue to look ominous for Rishi Sunak and the Conservatives.
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“The Ipsos political monitor started in the late 70s and has never recorded a Conservative vote share this low – and the job satisfaction trends for the Prime Minister and his government since he took office are also heading downwards.
“Combined with Labour taking leads on issues of economic credibility to go with their traditional strengths in public services, this means the Conservatives face big challenges across a number of fronts if they are to turn the situation around.”
The news comes after the polling ahead of the Scottish Tory conference found the party was on lows not seen since Liz Truss was in office.
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt is due to deliver the Spring Budget on Wednesday, with Tory MPs hoping that tax cuts will reverse their ailing fortunes in the polls.
Ipsos UK interviewed 1004 adults in Britain by phone between February 21 and 28.
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