Voters simply don’t trust Sir Keir to deal with migrant crisis or boost the economy
VOTERS overwhelmingly do not trust Sir Keir Starmer to bring down migration or tackle the small boats crisis, a poll has revealed.
The Labour leader has failed to inspire confidence in his plans to reduce dangerous Channel crossings despite a major speech near Dover promising action.
The Daily Express’s new monthly poll tracking the opinions of the nation also found voters do not believe the economy will boom under Sir Keir.
Andrew Hawkins, boss of polling consultancy Whitestone Insight, said: “The potential trouble brewing for Labour is that fewer than one in five voters expect them to be able to fix immigration and voters appear unenthusiastic about what Labour will do for the economy.
“For Labour the opportunity is to show voters they have underestimated them. But this poll does reinforce the view that the UK is heading for a change in Government because the Conservatives are tired, – rather than because voters love the Labour Party.”
Gamble
Fewer than one in five voters believe Sir Keir will reduce the number of people arriving on Britain’s shores in small boats, the Whitestone Insight poll found. Only one in 10 think the Labour leader will reduce the number of legal migrants after net migration hit a record 745,000 in 2022. A third of the public believe both will get higher under Labour.
The poll results will come as a huge blow to Sir Keir, who took a major gamble when he admitted hardline Conservative MP Natalie Elphicke into his party this month.
Sir Keir used the defection to flex Labour’s muscles on migration, hosting a press conference in Ms Elphicke’s Dover constituency to set out his plans for a Border Security Command to co-ordinate efforts to halt the crossings.
He vowed to “materially” reduce the number of Channel crossings, but added he would not put a “false number” on his plans when asked when the crisis would end.
The Labour leader warned people smugglers: “These shores will become hostile territory for you – we will find you.”
He also announced he would scrap the Rwanda deportation policy on day one of a Labour Government, and put the money into other measures to tackle the issue. But the poll found 32% of voters believe crossings will increase and 34% think they will remain the same.
A third also believe legal migration will rise under Labour, while four in 10 expect it to stay at the level it is now. Meanwhile, new figures show the number of migrants detected crossing the Channel has hit a record high for the first five months of a year.
A total of 117 arrivals were recorded on Thursday, bringing the total for 2024 to 9,681, according to the Home Office. This is higher than the total for the first five months of any previous year since current figures began in 2018.
Sceptical
The previous record for the period January 1 to May 31 was 9,607, which was set in 2022, while last year saw 7,610 migrants arrive by the end of May. The cumulative number of arrivals by small boats in 2024
is now 41% higher than at this point in 2023 and 15% up on 2022.
The Whitestone Insight poll also found voters are sceptical about Labour’s ability to deal with the economy.Around one in four believe mortgage rates and house prices will go up if Sir Keir wins power.
Some 55% fear inflation will rise or stay the same, with just 24% predicting it will fall. It comes as Chancellor Jeremy Hunt heavily criticised the Labour leader’s spending plans yesterday. Overall voting intentions see Labour on 44% compared with 24% for the Conservatives. Of voters who backed the Tories under Boris Johnson, 53% will stick with the party, while 17% intend to vote Labour and 21% back Reform.
Mr Hawkins added: “Today’s poll confirms the hole the Tories are in. It would appear the nation has decided it is simply time for a change.”
VOTERS don’t trust Sir Keir Starmer, a survey commissioned by the Express has found. No wonder! Here is a man who tried to make Jeremy Corbyn prime minister and now claims to be a moderate in the vein of Tony Blair, the last Labour leader to win a general election.
Sir Keir tried to overturn Brexit but now welcomes ex-Tory Natalie Elphicke, a committed Brexiteer, into his party.With no real principles or beliefs, how can he be trusted to tackle difficult issues, such as stopping small boat crossings?
One thing we do know is that the Labour leader would axe tough new laws ensuring illegal migrants cannot stay in the UK.
Voters are right to feel he cannot be trusted to keep our borders secure.