February’s edition of Savanta ComRes’ monthly political tracker paints a similar story to data from our daily COVID-19 tracker. The good progress made with the vaccine has likely given the Government’s favourability ratings a boost with the Government up 10pts from January’s tracker to -2%, while Boris Johnson sees a rise of 6pts and is also on -2%. Of all individuals tracked, only Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has a fall from January’s favourability ratings, down 2pts to -4%.
These favourability ratings are also reflected in our ‘Best PM’ rating, which sees Boris Johnson up to 43% (+5), with Sir Keir Starmer falling 4pts to 27%. This is Starmer’s worst ‘Best PM’ rating since last June (26%).
Also worrying for Starmer are the proportion of those who say that his Labour Party are doing ‘badly’ vs ‘well’ in trying to win back voters lost in the 2019 general election (35% vs 24%), uniting the Labour Party (37% vs 24%), and looking like a government in waiting (36% vs 26%). However, on the points of holding the government to account (30% well vs 28% badly), and working constructively with the government during COVID (32% well vs 27% badly), the Labour Party appear to be doing marginally better.
Favourability ratings
UK Gov: -2% (+10)
Boris Johnson: -2% (+6)
Sir Keir Starmer: -4% (-2)
Matt Hancock: -3% (+6)
Priti Patel: -15% (+7)
Rishi Sunak: 17% (+2)
Dominic Raab: -3% (+4)
Ed Davey: -6% (+1)
Boris Johnson and his policies
Like both him and his policies: 27% (-)
Like him but dislike his policies: 17% (+2)
Dislike him but like his policies: 9% (+1)
Dislike both him and his policies: 31% (-5)
DK: 15% (+1)
Sir Keir Starmer and his policies
Like both him and his policies: 18% (-2)
Like him but dislike his policies: 16% (-)
Dislike him but like his policies: 11% (+2)
Dislike both him and his policies: 28% (+2)
DK: 27% (-2)
Since the last General Election, how well or badly would you say that the Labour Party, led by Jeremy Corbyn until April and Keir Starmer ever since, has performed in each of the following?
| Sum: Well | Sum: Badly | |
| Holding the Gov to account | 30% | 28% |
| Working constructively with Gov during COVID | 32% | 27% |
| Trying to win back voters lost in 2019 GE | 24% | 35% |
| Looking like a Gov in waiting | 26% | 36% |
| Uniting as a party | 24% | 37% |
| Dealing with anti-Semitism | 23% | 35% |
Commenting on the findings, Chris Hopkins, Political Research Director at Savanta ComRes said, “This five point Conservative lead is our biggest in a Westminster VI since the middle of October 2020, and the much-imrpoved favourability ratings for the Government and its key ministers ar elikely to be heavily tied to the success of the vaccination rollout.”
“With this increased governmental positivity, eyes turn to the opposition and what they could possibly do to bridge that gap. Some improved numbers for Labour last year have disappeared, and it’s going to take Keir Starmer differentiating himself more from previous Labour leaders and the current Conservative offer in order to do better at attracting those voters who have abandoned Labour at the previous elections.”
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