Sunak continues to struggle with favourability
My immediate reaction to this latest polling from Ipsos is that it can be a lot harder for the incumbent PM to do well on this question than the Opposition Leader. Quite simply the former has to make decisions that are often controversial.
Assuming Starmer is at Number 10 within the next eighteen months then he will start to struggle on this measure when he has to make tough calls. Whatever I have always regarded this form of polling as a far better guide to electoral outcomes than standard voting intention polling.
According to the Times the Tories have a new policy plan that they think will resonate well with voters – abolishing IHT. The trouble for Sunak is that Labour will portray this as just another measure that will help the better off. It will go down well with Waitrose shoppers but is likely to be a negative with Aldi ones.
The Tories need to be making progress on the cost of living crisis before the election and I wonder whether Sunak is the right man for the moment. It would not surprise me if he was ousted before polling day.