Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has suggested the success of the coronavirus vaccine rollout has led to the Conservatives establishing a 13-point lead over his party.
He said “people want the government to succeed” during a pandemic, but conceded there is a “lot of work to do” to rebuild support.
The poll by YouGov for the Times, in the wake of the Budget, suggested Tory support is at 45%, up four points on last week, while Labour’s support fell four points to 32%.
Some 36% chose Boris Johnson when asked whether he or Sir Keir would make the best prime minister. Just 28% chose the Labour leader, while 33% said they did not know.
The poll also found that the majority of people – 55% – thought the chancellor’s Budget on Wednesday was “fair”, despite it meaning that British households and businesses will shoulder the biggest tax burden since the 1960s.
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Sir Keir was asked by reporters on Friday morning why he thinks he is becoming less popular.
He said: “I think during a pandemic like this people want the government to succeed and you see that reflected in the polls.
“Of course we’ve got a lot of work to do – I accept that – but I think in the middle of a pandemic, particularly with the vaccine rollout, people do want the government to succeed.”
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