Nearly two thirds of British voters said they don’t trust that Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will deliver on his five-point plan to tackle the UK’s biggest challenges, a new poll has revealed.
Pollsters Omnisis found 61% of British voters don’t trust the PM’s plan, which he revealed this week, with only 24% of people backing him to achieve his goals to halve inflation, grow the economy, cut debt, reduce NHS waiting times and “stop small boats”.
Sunak outlined his promise in a week where rail workers staged another 48-hour walkout amid government plans to introduce anti-strike laws.
Whilst our poll showed 61% of voters support the right to strike, that number has fallen by 2% compared to 22nd December 2022.
The Prime Minister’s action plan announcement also did little to move the needle on his or the Government’s popularity this week, according to our latest voter intention poll:
- Labour sustained a 22-point lead in the polls with 49% (-2%) ahead of the Conservatives on 27% (+2)
- Rishi Sunak’s approval rating increased by just 1% to 32%, with 33% saying they do not approve of his performance
- The Prime Minister did, however, pick up four points and is now level pegging on 33% with Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer as the country’s preferred PM
- 53% of voters said they do not think they’ll be better off economically in 2023, with only 20% feeling they will do better this year
Finally, our weekly Brexit tracker showed a four-point increase (to 62%) of people saying the UK should seek to re-join the European Union compared to 38% of people who said we should stay out.
The latest Omnisis poll, conducted on 6th January 2023, questioned 1,285 people and is weighted to a nationally representative population.
Brian Cooper, Managing Director of Omnisis, said: “Despite the promises of ‘fixing Britain’ and restoring pride in the country, it appears voters are becoming increasingly cynical, with nearly two thirds saying they don’t trust the Prime Minister to achieve his five-point plan.
“This apparent lack of trust is reflected in the pessimism of the 53% of voters who think they’re in for another tough economic ride in 2023.
“Whilst optimism and hope are great sales pitches, it seems tough for folk to see past the reality of the cost of living crisis and the health service which continued to dominate people’s biggest concerns, according to our poll.
“75% said they were most worried about the NHS; 66% said the economy; 63% were most concerned about inflation followed by poverty and inequality on 39%, immigration on 36% and climate change on 34%.”
See the full data here: https://omnisis.co.uk/poll-results/vi-16-results-06-01-2023/