Exclusive Deltapoll research put Labour on 20% in the polls and the Tories on 19%, behind Reform on 30%, leaving the PM with work to do in the new year to win back voters
17:22, 20 Dec 2025Updated 17:24, 20 Dec 2025
The public have issued the strongest warning to Keir Starmer to date that he needs to sort things out.
Exclusive Deltapoll research put Labour on 20% in the polls and the Tories on 19%, behind Reform on 30%. Labour came into power last year, but despite a series of achievements have work to do in the polls.
The PM told ministers this week that 2026 “would be the year that Britain turned renewal into reality”, with a series of major policies set to come into force next year. This includes an increase in neighbourhood policing, the lifting of the two child benefit cap, a rail fares freeze and a planned cut in energy bills.
The net scores for leadership also made bleak reading for Downing Street, with the PM on a net score of -46. Seven in ten believed he was doing a bad job, including more than half (54%) of those who voted Labour at the last election. It comes ahead of crucial local elections in May next year, including the Holyrood election in Scotland, and the Senedd election in Wales.
Kemi Badenoch was at -9, with nearly one in five (19%) still not knowing if she’s doing well or badly. Despite Reform’s lead in the polls, Nigel Farage still had an approval rating of -4, and the public didn’t trust his party on a series of issues.
On defence, 42% distrusted Reform UK, a damning stat that comes after Nathan Gill, party's ex-leader in Wales was sentenced to 10-and-a-half years in prison last month for taking bribes to spout pro-Russia propaganda. On the cost of living and the economy, 50% of the public didn’t trust the former banker and his cronies, compared to 32% who did.
Reform UK, who have unveiled mass deportation plans, were distrusted by 46% on the immigration, and trusted by just 40%. There was also 43% distrust on education, compared to 35%, for Reform who have pledged to bring in a “patriotic school curriculum”.
Joe Twyman, Co-founder and Director of Deltapoll said: “It is clear that 2025 has been a difficult year for the Labour government generally, and the Prime Minister Keir Starmer specifically. There are, however, potentially three and a half years until a general election needs to be called and Downing Street will be hoping that things can be turned around.
“It is, after all, three and a half years ago that Boris Johnson was giving interviews talking about his plans for a third term as Prime Minister. But while three and a half years is a very long time in politics and things can change, every day that passes and public opinion does not improve, the task facing the government becomes more difficult.”