The United Kingdom's political landscape has been rocked by a significant decline in Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's approval ratings, which have plunged into negative territory for the first time since he took office. According to a recent poll conducted by ConservativeHome, Sunak's approval rating among Conservative MPs has plummeted to -2.7 percent, marking a sharp decrease from last month's 11.7 percent, his positive rating in May 2023 was 21.9. When Sunak became the PM — his approval rating was +49.9.
His current standing is better than some of his predecessors, such as Johnson, who reached a low of -33.8, and Theresa May’s -51.2. These ratings are an indication that the tide is turning against the Prime Minister.
This downward trend follows a series of challenges faced by the government, including the Bank of England's decision to raise interest rates by 5 percent and a court ruling against the deportation policy of asylum seekers to Rwanda.
The decline in support for Sunak is not limited to him alone. The poll reveals that several other cabinet members, including Oliver Dowden, Greg Hands, Michael Gove, Andrew Mitchell, Grant Shapps, Jeremy Hunt, Robert Jenrick, and Therese Coffey, have also experienced negative ratings in June.
It also comes despite his announcement of a £ 2.4 billion plan to boost NHS staffing and reduce huge backlogs in treatment.
On a positive note, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace emerged as the highest-rated cabinet member, with an impressive 77.1 percent support. Foreign Secretary James Cleverly (54.4 percent), Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch (43.9 percent), and Home Secretary Suella Braverman (30.4 percent) also received positive approval ratings.
Adding to Sunak's predicament, the Labour Party maintains a substantial 18-point lead over the Conservative Party in an upcoming by-election for three parliamentary seats. These favourable poll results may provide a much-needed boost to the Conservative Party's hopes of reversing predictions of defeat in the anticipated 2024 general election.
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