Rishi Sunak’s approval rating hits all-time low in August

Prime minister Rishi Sunak’s approval ratings plummeted last month, according to polling figures.

Data from YouGov suggests that Sunak’s favourability score dropped to -41 as of the end of August, with at least 67 per cent of Britons holding an unfavourable view of him.

Since becoming PM at the end of October, Sunak has suffered considerable drops in his popularity among voters.

While his popularity has fluctuated throughout 2023, a steady downward trend in August has defined an arguably chaotic month for the Conservatives.

Along with a blistering backlash to government immigration policies and rising inflation during the cost of living crisis, the PM has been heavily criticised for continued attacks on LGBTQ+ rights.

The favourability of his party is even worse, with the Conservatives recording -48 in the polls. Only 16 per cent view both Sunak and the Tories in a positive light, while 60 per cent like neither.

The opposition’s favourability has been stable over the past month, with both Keir Starmer and Labour well above RIshi Sunak and the government.

But while 34 per cent of UK voters hold a positive view of the Labour leader, 54 per cent view him negatively.

Among people who voted Conservative in the 2019 general election, 39 per cent don’t like either party leader.

Fifty-eight per cent of 2019 Labour voters still view both the party and its leader positively, with 14 per cent favouring Labour but not backing Starmer. Just one per cent favour Starmer but not Labour.

Influence of immigration

Starmer has also come under fire for his leadership, especially when it comes to LGBTQ+ rights.

While Rishi Sunak is widely unpopular among all household income brackets, those whose financial situation has worsened this year are more likely to hold a negative view of the Tories, according to the data.

Popularity for the Conservatives and Sunak is, surprisingly, still negative when voters’ views on immigration – one of the UK’s most-talked-about issues – is disregarded.

Those who believe immigration has been too high in the UK hold a slightly more positive view of the prime minister, although still in negative figures, while those who believe it has been about right or too low feel significantly worse about him.