After missteps, British PM fights for survival as anti-immigrant anger grows

News analysis

- Jonathan Eyal Global Affairs Correspondent

Minister Keir Starmer speaking at the Labour Party's annual conference in Liverpool on Sept 30. Instead of listing his government's achievements, he devoted much of his speech to confronting the rise of the anti-immigrant Reform UK. The next general election is not due before 2029, but the electoral battle lines are already being drawn.

(PHOTO: REUTERS)

Yet, instead of basking in glory, Mr Starmer arrived at the Liverpool conference fighting for his political survival.

Instead of listing his government’s achievements, he devoted much of his Sept 30 speech at the gathering to confronting the most significant danger he now faces: The rise of the anti-immigrant, populist and far-right Reform UK, led by Mr Nigel Farage, one of the country’s most controversial politicians.

The next general election is not due before 2029, but the electoral battle lines are already being drawn.

Mr Starmer’s approval ratings have plummeted to historic lows, marking one of the most dramatic declines in British political history.

Current polling shows that he has achieved the unwanted distinction of becoming the most unpopular prime minister on record, with only 13 per cent of the public approving of his performance.

This has translated into catastrophic polling for Labour.

Recent projections suggest that if a general election were held in Britain today, Reform UK would win 311 parliamentary seats (just 15 short of an overall majority), while Labour, which currently controls 401 seats in the British Parliament, would slump to just 144 MPs.

Mr Starmer’s unprecedented decline stems from a series of policy missteps and scandals.

The decision to cut winter fuel payments for approximately 10 million pensioners has been hugely unpopular. So was a subsequent decision to restrict the number of people entitled to claim disability welfare payments.