CORBYN’S NEW POLL LOW
He’s now the most unpopular opposition leader in history
‘Failed to answer eight times’
JEREMY Corbyn’s party conference preparations got off to the worst possible start last night when a poll showed he is the most unpopular opposition leader on record.
Just 16 per cent of voters are satisfied with the Labour leader and 76 per cent dissatisfied, according to Ipsos MORI.
The net satisfaction rating of minus 60 is even worse than the minus 56 recorded by Michael Foot following the Falklands war. The survey, for the London Evening Standard, found that just one in five voters see Mr Corbyn as a good representative of Britain on the world stage, and almost half view him as out of touch with ordinary people.
Even Labour supporters are exasperated with his vacillation on Brexit – with more saying he is doing a bad job on Europe than a good one.
‘Corbyn’s historically dire personal poll ratings will concern Labour supporters as the party heads into an expected general election,’ said Keiran Pedley of Ipsos MORI. ‘When Tony Blair and David Cameron assumed office from opposition, both had positive net satisfaction scores and Corbyn’s currently stands at minus 60.
‘However, he was able to significantly improve his personal poll ratings during the 2017 general election campaign so perhaps he will again.
‘Whether he can do so against the backdrop of resurgent Lib Dems and lukewarm public support for his Brexit stance remains to be seen.’ The poll came as: Mr Corbyn failed eight times in an interview to say whether he supported Leave or Remain;
But he said he would campaign for Remain if delegates vote against his neutral position at the conference.
John McDonnell said Labour would never back a Tory withdrawal agreement while fellow frontbencher Emily Thornberry said the party might – in return for a second referendum;
Mr McDonnell ruled himself out as Mr Corbyn’s successor, saying the next leader must be female;
Labour promised new workplace rights for menopausal women;
Miss Thornberry was criticised for comparing the Liberal Democrats to the Taliban over Brexit;
Harriet Harman vowed to continue her fight to be Commons Speaker after Corbynites issued a threat to force her out of her seat.
In an interview with ITV, Mr Corbyn denied his party’s position on Brexit was ‘muddled’ even as he failed to answer eight times if he supported Leave or Remain. Denying he was sitting on the fence, he said: ‘I’m pro the British people.’
Mr Corbyn wants to try to strike a different agreement with Brussels before putting it to a referendum during which he would remain neutral.
But activists have put forward a series of motions demanding he unequivocally back Remain.
Mr Corbyn later told the BBC that if he loses a vote at the conference, which starts in Brighton today, and activists tell him to commit to Remain, he would do so.
Shadow Foreign Secretary Miss Thornberry told The Guardian that Labour could vote for a Boris Johnson ‘deal’ in exchange for the promise of a second referendum, saying: ‘It’s something we would have to consider.’
But Mr McDonnell told the Daily Mirror that Labour would not back any agreement brought back by Mr Johnson, saying: ‘We’ll look at what he brings back but the reality is it’s not going to be what we sought.’
Asked whether he would seek to replace Mr Corbyn, the Shadow Chancellor said: ‘It isn’t going to happen. If Jeremy got hit by the No 57 bus, or whatever it is, there’s the next generation coming through. And the reality is the next leader should be a woman. It’s high time to have a woman.’ Mr Corbyn’s minus 60 rating is the lowest since the question was first asked by Ipsos MORI in 1977.
Labour supporters are slightly more satisfied than dissatisfied in the Labour Party leader.
But just one in five of all voters say that Mr Corbyn would be a capable leader (21 per cent), good in a crisis (20 per cent) and a good representative of Britain on the world stage (20 per cent). Only 25 per cent say he has sound judgment.
Another 27 per cent say that he is more style than substance and 37 per cent say that he is more honest than most politicians.
When it comes to Brexit, 77 per cent say that he is doing a bad job at handling Britain’s exit from the EU (down 4 points from May) with 14 per cent saying he’s doing a job (up 2 points).
The most successful opposition leader on record was Tony Blair, who never dipped below plus 7.
Comment – Page 16