As Keir Starmer approaches two months in office as Prime Minister, public opinion is beginning to take shape regarding the performance of the new Labour government. Recent YouGov political trackers indicate that while the public’s attitude toward the new administration is more favorable than it was toward the outgoing Conservative government, there are still significant levels of dissatisfaction with the current political landscape.

Government Approval Ratings

The final months of the Conservative government saw plummeting popularity, with only 12-15% of Britons approving of its record, while more than 70% disapproved. In contrast, the Labour government has garnered a slightly better reception, with approximately 23% of the public expressing a positive view of its performance so far. However, this figure has decreased from 29% in mid-July.

Despite this relative improvement, half of the British public—51%—currently disapprove of the new government’s record, marking a 20 percentage point increase in disapproval in just one month. This suggests that while the new government is viewed as less unpopular than its predecessor, it is far from being embraced as popular in its own right.

Historical Context

Comparing these numbers to previous administrations, the current approval rating for Starmer’s government is notably below average. Similar approval ratings were only seen during Theresa May’s government after the 2017 election, where 23% approval was recorded. Disapproval figures are more consistent with past governments, aligning with disapproval rates of 53% seen nearly two months after the elections in both 2005 and 2017.

However, the new Labour government’s figures fall significantly short compared to the last major governmental shift in 2010. At that time, approval ratings for David Cameron’s coalition government were 23 percentage points higher, with disapproval rates 18 points lower than those currently facing Starmer’s administration.

As public sentiment continues to evolve, it remains clear that while there is a degree of optimism towards the new government, significant challenges lie ahead in improving the overall perception of politics in the UK.