Boost for Badenoch as she cuts Labour's lead in polls

Kemi Badenoch has cut into Sir Keir Starmer's poll lead in her first week as Conservative Party leader, closing the gap by two points.

- DAVID MADDOX

The Techne UK weekly tracker poll for The Independent has revealed in the week since she took over from Rishi Sunak, Ms Badenoch has increased the Conservative support by one point to 25 per cent while Labour has fallen a point to 29 per cent reducing the gap from six points to four.

It comes in a difficult week for Sir Keir’s government with continued anger over the £40bn tax rises in the Budget – particularly the farm inheritance tax raid and the increase in employer contributions to national insurance.