Net favorability for Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer in the UK 2022-2024

In October 2024, the net favorability rating for the current British Prime Minister, Keir Starmer was -36 percent, while for Rishi Sunak, the former Prime Minister, it was -42 percent. Although both leaders have low favorability with the British public, Starmer's popularity has fallen considerably since taking office in July 2024.  

Labour win the 2024 general election

Towards the end of May 2024, Rishi Sunak announced that the next UK general election will happen on July 4, 2024. In this election, the Labour Party won a huge overall majority, the first time the party has won a general election since 2005. The Conservative's by contrast, are heading for a spell in opposition, after emerging as the largest party in the last previous four UK elections. In the run-up to the election, polls put them far behind Labour for several months, while the populist right-wing party, Reform UK, grew in popularity at the Conservative's expense. 

Glimmers of economic recovery not enough to save Sunak

After coming to power in late 2022, Sunak's time in office coincided with a tough economic environment. The Cost of Living Crisis, driven by high inflation, pushed many UK households to the brink, while the overall economy, struggled to grow at a consistent pace. Just before he called the election, however, there was some positive economic news. GDP growth in the first quarter of 2024 was 0.6 percent, the fastest the economy had grown since the end of 2021. CPI inflation, meanwhile, was 2.3 percent in May 2024, the lowest rate in three years. Although it was ultimately not enough to save Sunak, re-establishing themselves as the best party for handling the economy would give the Conservative's a much better chance at future general elections.