Blow for Nigel Farage as ballot finds greater than half of voters dislike him
EXCLUSIVE – The Persuasion UK survey found 43% of all respondents, and 72% of 2024 Labour voters, have a positive view of Andy Burnham, while 28% of all voters have a negative view of him
Nigel Farage is not liked by the majority of the public, polling suggests(Image: Anadolu via Getty Images)
More than half of voters have an unfavourable view of Nigel Farage while Andy Burnham is the most popular national party leader, new polling has revealed.
The Persuasion UK survey found 43% of all respondents, and 72% of 2024 Labour voters, have a positive view of the new PM, while 28% of all voters have a negative view of him.
The Reform UK leader was far less popular, with 51% having a negative view and just 28% having a positive opinion of him.
Voters were more split on Kemi Badenoch, with 31% having a positive view and the same number a negative one.
Things were also bleak for the Green Party leader Zack Polanski, with 41% having a negative view and 17% having a positive one.
Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey also failed to inspire the public, with 21% favourable and 29% negative.
The polling of 6,091 respondents, conducted by Convergent for the non-profit Persuasion UK, also showed the cost of living is the overwhelming priority for Brits, with 60% naming it as a top issue.
Some 67% of all voters think big business takes advantage and 66% think workers lack a fair share. Around 77% of 2024 Labour voters think workers lack a fair share.
When asked what was causing higher prices, 37% of respondents named the US-Iran war. The second most popular answer was the conflict in Ukraine, at 32%.
When asked which person or group they think is to blame for rising costs, the most popular answer was Donald Trump. 35% of all voters and 44% of Labour 2024 voters blamed the US president for rising prices.
Morgan Jones, Deputy Director of Persuasion UK, said: “Andy Burnham is notably popular in this polling, which fits with other surveys showing an improvement in Labour’s ratings since he became Prime Minister.
“Our analysis suggests this so-called ‘Burnham bounce’ is largely down to alienated progressive voters returning to Labour.
“The cost of living continues to be a top priority for voters, who show an interest in fairly bold solutions – such as public ownership – to tackle a crisis they see as the doing of Trump, Putin, and CEOs”.
Separate polling from YouGov earlier this month showed Mr Farage’s latest unpopularity level is the highest recorded for him in 10 years.
It shows 69% of voters have an unfavourable opinion of him – including 57% who say they see him in a very unfavourable way. Just 24% hold a positive opinion of him, the polling shows.
