Few likewise see Rishi Sunak as doing well on Israel/Palestine, although 2019 Tory voters still tend to back him

All Britons
Well: 22% (-5 from Oct)
Badly: 52% (+9)

2019 Con voters
Well: 40% (-9)
Badly: 34% (+9)https://t.co/eH2tF6W0eT pic.twitter.com/rVqjncz05a

— YouGov (@YouGov) March 1, 2024

Looking at these figures both Starmer and Sunak are seen as handling events in the Holy Land very badly. I suspect this is an artefact of seeing what looks like and feels like collective punishment being delivered on the Palestinians and driving sympathy towards the Palestinians.

Starmer should go on a crusade to reassure the voters that he is on their side on this issue but point out we no longer live in the Sykes-Picot era and what a UK Prime Minister can do in the Middle East is limited.

I have this hypothesis that part of the SNP recovery in Scotland is down to Starmer’s approach on Israel/Palestine, but that’s just a hunch.

New Scotland Only Westminster poll, Survation 14 – 20 Feb (changes vs 23 – 25 Jan):

SNP ~ 38% (+2)
Lab ~ 33% (-1)
Con ~ 15% (-1)
LD ~ 8% (nc)

(No Holyrood/Indy VI as yet; not sure if being held back or wasn't asked? If latter, odd omission 25 years into devolution!) pic.twitter.com/alSM9pfnxe

— Ballot Box Scotland (@BallotBoxScot) March 1, 2024

For those worried about sectarianism spreading in the UK, it should be reassuring that it just isn’t Muslims being disappointed in Starmer and Sunak but a wide range of voters.

TSE