Top pollster doubts PM's reset will win over public

Sir John Curtice says Keir Starmer ‘lacks a story' and this week's 'plan for change' might not be enough to change that

- ARCHIE MITCHELL

Sir Keir Starmer will set out a “plan for change” this week as part of what he is calling the next phase of government after a tumultuous start in No 10 – but Britain’s top pollster has raised serious doubts about whether he can convince the public.

After five months that have seen the prime minister’s poll rating plummet, Sir Keir is planning to set numerical targets for the economy, the NHS, public safety, energy security and social mobility against which the public can judge him and his government at the next general election, expected in 2029.

The milestones will run alongside public sector reform, Downing Street said, and will include a focus on reforming Whitehall, spearheaded by an as-yet-unannounced new chief civil servant and cabinet ministers, so it is geared towards the delivery of Labour’s missions.

But polling guru Sir John Curtice has warned that Sir Keir’s government has “hit significant political trouble rather early on in its life”, adding that “the fundamental question is whether a politician who has shown so far absolutely no ability to construct a narrative can suddenly construct a narrative”.

Speaking to The Independent, Sir John Curtice said the government “lacks a story of what it is about”.

“There is an appreciation that what you need to do is improve things, and if you improve things, people will vote for you,” he said. “That is not sufficient, because you had to persuade people you have done things.

“I presume part of the idea of ‘plan for change’ is that all they had to say during the election was ‘change’ and that is all they campaigned on, and now they have to be a wee bit more specific on what kind of change they have in mind – which was an obvious gap six months ago.”