26.5% more of Conservative party members do not approve of Rishi Sunak

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: News websites
30 Dec 2023 10:47

Statistics show that Sunak's favourability dipped to a whopping minus 26.5, dropping in over a one percent estimate value in just a month.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak leaves 10 Downing Street to attend the weekly session of Prime Minister Questions in Parliament in London, November 15, 2023 (AP)

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak reached a new low in approval rating among UK conservatives, a poll revealed.

Statistics showed that Sunak's favourability dipped to a whopping minus 26.5, dropping in over a one percent estimate value in just a month, essentially indicating that 26.5% more of conservative party members do not approve of him, according to results from the ConservativeHome website.

Cabinet members also showed hefty discontent with Sunak, the poll revealed.

“Only 17 members of the Cabinet are above a lowly ten points – a record in itself. Morale seems to be at rock bottom and so are ratings – with eight Ministers, one fewer than our record total of nine, in the red. Rishi Sunak’s score is his lowest ever,” read a post on the popular blog.

The Conservative Party PM seems to have a pressured agenda with party activists demanding more tax cuts and reducing immigration to the UK.

Sunak, since taking on his role as PM, has faced tremendous challenges. In September, he was the first prime minister in about a decade to steer clear from attending the annual UN General Assembly (GA) to avoid the risk of embarrassment after the UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, urged world leaders to attend the climate ambition summit he called for on the sidelines of the GA.

However, Sunak wanted to avoid embarrassment, as Guterres set a condition to which leaders were allowed to attend the climate ambition summit, limiting it to leaders who have implemented policies in line with the 2015 Paris Agreement's goals and who have real ambition to reduce national emissions, underscoring that merely having net zero targets would not be sufficient to guarantee participation.

According to polls, Sunak’s party trailed Labour for more than a year, with recent surveys showing the opposition party about 20% ahead. This comes as Sunak is required to hold a general election within 13 months, meaning he’ll likely face British voters in 2024.

The Labour Party at odds

Meanwhile, Keir Starmer, leader of the Labour Party, has been a point of controversy among party members after ousting former leader Jeremy Corbyn. Speculations around their more "cordial" relationship might have led to that, as Corbyn remains popular among UK youth.

Right now, the Labour Party is involved in legal disputes with Corbyn loyalists within the party, who provided evidence that showcased internal bias that led to his ejection. Moreover, Starmer has been linked to UK MI5 intelligence, a service that has consistently worked to diminish Corbyn's work.

In November, two leaders of Labour councils in Lancashire, UK, urged Starmer to resign over his call to not push for a ceasefire in Gaza.

This came after calls from senior Labour figures like London Mayor Sadiq Khan, Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar, and Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, who challenged Starmer's stance, but the party's shadow education secretary, Bridget Phillipson, relayed to Sky News, "This is about what's right for the people of Israel and Gaza. The primary focus of this is not the Labour Party."

However, Starmer still is by UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's side, alongside the US'.