Public confidence in Jeremy Corbyn plummets as local elections loom
3 min read
Public confidence in Jeremy Corbyn has fallen dramatically in the past month, a new poll has revealed.
According to the latest Ipsos MORI Political Monitor, 32% of the public are satisfied with his performance as Labour leader, down five points since March. At the same time, the proportion of voters who are dissatisfied has increased by seven points to 59%.
Theresa May has also seen her satisfaction ratings fall, by three points to 38%. Meanwhile, 55% of the public are dissatisfied with her performance - up three points.
It means Mr Corbyn's overall satisfaction rating is minus 27, ten points worse than the Prime Minister, who is on minus 17.
The findings are a blow for the Labour leader as his party gears up for Thursday's local elections in England.
Mrs May is also more popular among her own party's supporters, with 77% saying they are pleased with her performance, up three points since March.
By contrast, the proportion of Labour voters who are pleased with Mr Corbyn has fallen by 11 points to 60% in the past month.
The survey also found that while 46% of voters think Mrs May is a capable leader - up one point in the past year - Mr Corbyn's ratings have fallen by six points to 32%.
The Prime Minister also beats the Labour leader on being "good in a crisis", having "sound judgement", "understanding the problems facing Britain" and being "patriotic".
However, Mr Corbyn scores better on being in touch with ordinary people, having "a lot of personality", having "a clear vision for modern Britain" and being "more honest than most politicians".
The Labour leader also has a small advantage over Mrs May when it comes to which of them is "more style than substance", with 31% of those asked saying that description fit Mrs May compared to 27% for Mr Corbyn.
Gideon Skinner, head of political research at Ipsos MORI, said: "Jeremy Corbyn’s ratings have had their ups and downs since he was elected leader. After a decline in 2016 they rose remarkably during the election campaign, where they stayed for a while – but in recent months they have started to dip again.
"He is better viewed than Theresa May on ratings such as being honest, having a lot of personality and being less out of touch, but she leads on attributes such as patriotism, being a capable and good in a crisis."
The poll took place against the backdrop of the latest anti-Semitism row to hit the Labour party, with Mr Corbyn being accused by Jewish groups and his own MPs of not doing enough to tackle the problem.
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