Boris Johnson and Keir Starmer’s approval ratings have both hit a new low

Boris Johnson’s approval rating has reached the lowest point since he became prime minister, according to a new poll.

The Opinium polling, carried out for the Observer, shows that Labour leader Keir Starmer’s approval rating is also down.

At a glance: 5 key points

– Boris Johnson’s personal approval rating has dropped to -16, with 34 per cent saying they approve of the job he is doing as PM, and 49 per cent saying they disapprove. This is down from -13 two weeks ago and the previous low of -15, during the second Covid wave in January

– Despite Johnson’s dropping numbers the poll is almost equally bad news for Labour leader Keir Starmer, whose approval rating is also at a new low of -11 (28 per cent approve and 39 per cent disapprove)

– Asked who they think would make the best prime minister, 31 per cent opted for Johnson and 25 per cent for Starmer, with “Neither” the most popular choice, on 32 per cent

– The polling also reveals that there is significant confusion over the government’s flagship policy of ‘levelling up’, with less than one in five of those polled clear on what it means, and once given the definition, 50 per cent said they don’t think the government is doing it

– Opinium polled 2000 adults online on 5 and 6 August

What’s been said?

Adam Drummond, head of political polling at Opinium, said: “It’s only after rounding, but our latest poll shows Boris Johnson with his lowest approval rating of any of the 53 times we have asked the question since he became prime minister.

“While the so-called ‘vaccine bounce’ he has been enjoying in recent months may be over, the Conservatives still enjoy a comfortable seven-point lead in the polls – partly off the back of Starmer’s similarly poor ratings.

“But even as his ratings do drop, the prime minister should never be written off. He has bounced back from poor polling numbers before, and he may be able to do so again.”