More people ‘angry’ with Ardern – poll

A new poll shows more people are ‘‘disappointed’’ and ‘‘angry’’ with Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern than in 2020, though the Labour leader makes more people feel ‘‘comfortable’’ and less ‘‘nervous’’ than National Party leader Christopher Luxon.

A Horizon Research survey of feelings about the two party leaders, provided exclusively to Stuff, showed that of more than 1000 people polled 35% felt ‘‘disappointed’’ and 28% ‘‘angry’’ about Ardern.

The poll indicated public sentiment about Ardern had shifted since September 2020, when in the lead-up to an election 14% felt ‘‘disappointed’’ and 11% ‘‘angry’’. While Ardern also made fewer people feel ‘‘hopeful’’ in the latest poll, dropping from 46% to 20%, she made more people feel ‘‘proud’’, ‘‘comfortable’’ and ‘‘pleased’’ than her opponent.

Luxon, who has not previously featured in such Horizon polls, made 25% of those surveyed ‘‘hopeful’’.

However, he made more ‘‘nervous’’, at 27% compared with Ardern at 19%, and was one percentage point lower than Ardern for those who said the leader made them ‘‘concerned’’, at 32%.

The poll of 1153 adults, who were able to choose multiple emotions felt for each leader, was taken between October 20 and 25 and had a maximum margin of error of 3.2%.

‘‘The results clearly show where these leaders need to put in some work. Ardern needs to acknowledge suffering that people have been subjected to, and it is obvious she needs to provide a hopeful way forward,’’ said Horizon’s principal, Graeme Colman.

Luxon was making a third of adults feel ‘‘concerned’’, Colman said, and ‘‘he needs to find out why he is not making them comfortable’’. ‘‘Overall people don’t vote for people they don’t like, and they also tend to vote for those who make them feel positive and hopeful and who inspire them.’’

Polling in recent months has shown Labour and National roughly neck-andneck, indicating the 2023 election could be a close contest. Results of Horizon’s poll released on Monday showed NZ First could be a kingmaker if the election returned the survey’s results.