Savanta ComRes Political Tracker – October 2021

Savanta ComRes Political Tracker for October 2021, including Westminster Voting Intention

Lowest ‘Best PM’ rating for Johnson since January – Savanta ComRes October Political Tracker

Best PM rating: Johnson 39% (-5), Starmer 32% (+1), Don’t know 29% (+3)
NET Favourability ratings: UK government -12% (-2), Johnson -9% (-2), Starmer -6% (+2), Sunak +11% (-2)
Johnson & policies: Dislike both 38% (+2), Like both 27% (=), Like him but dislike policies 18% (-1), Like policies but dislike him 6% (-1), DK 11% (=)
Starmer & policies: Dislike both 29% (+1), Like both 22% (=), Like him but dislike policies 15% (-2), Like policies but dislike him 11% (=), DK 24% (+2)

The October wave of Savanta ComRes’ monthly Political Tracker sees Boris Johnson’s ‘best Prime Minister rating’ down 5pts from September to 39%. This is his lowest rating since January (38%).

This drop comes with a 3pt rise for those who say they don’t know (29%), while Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer is up 1pt from September to 32%.

Likewise, our NET favourability rating sees Johnson (-9%) the Government as a whole (-12%) both down 2pts from September, whilst Starmer is up 2pts (-6%).

Chancellor, Rishi Sunak, has consistently been way ahead of his Cabinet colleagues, and often the only minister with a positive NET rating. Again in October, the Chancellor’s score is +11%, 16pts ahead of anyone else.

Despite this, Sunak has dropped 2pts since last month, and 19pts since an all-time high for him in September 2021 (+30%).

When asked for their opinion on the party leaders and their policies, our October tracker shows the highest proportion of UK adults since we began tracking who say that they dislike both Johnson & his policies (38%), up 2pts from September. Despite this, the proportion who say that they like both Johnson & his policies (27%) is unchanged since September.

One in six UK adults say that they like Johnson but dislike his policies (18%), whilst just 6% say that they dislike him but like his policies.

However, this increase in dislike for Johnson & his policies does not translate into an uptick for Sir Keir Starmer. Three in ten UK adults say that they disklike both the Labour leader & his policies (29%), up 1pt from September, whilst the 22% who say that they like both Starmer and his policies is unchanged from last month.

One in nine say that they like Starmer but dislike his policies (11%), whilst 15% say the reverse; that they dislike Starmer but like his policies.

Commenting on the findings, Chris Hopkins, Political Research Director at Savanta ComRes says,

“The Prime Minister’s falling ‘Best PM’ rating would be a concern if his opposite number wasn’t a) so far behind already or b) seeing his own rating standing so stationary. The narrowing of the gap here to 7pts is in no way down to an improving Labour, and if they’re not already, people are beginning to wonder what Labour’s plan actually is.

Having toured the country over the summer, and delivered a fairly well-received conference speech, Starmer and his party are nowhere to be seen again, standing still rather than lying in wait, allowing the government to get away without any visible or meaningful plan for the litany of challenges the country faces as we head towards winter.”

Date Published: 21/10/2021

Categories: Politics | Public and communities

Client: Savanta ComRes

Methodology

Savanta ComRes interviewed 2,092 UK adults online between 15^th and 17^th October 2021. Data were weighted by age, sex, region, and SEG. Savanta ComRes is a member of the British Polling Council and abides by its rules.