New Times,
New Thinking.

  1. Chart of the Day
19 October 2022

How Liz Truss became the most unpopular prime minister in history

Only 10 per cent of voters hold a favourable view of Truss, while 80 per cent have an unfavourable one.

By Ben Walker

Politicians in Britain don’t often attract high approval ratings. Forty per cent of Americans believe Joe Biden is doing a good job. While not a majority, even this kind of figure tends to elude UK leaders. 

But Liz Truss has plumbed new depths, recording the lowest approval rating of any UK prime minister in history. According to YouGov, just 10 per cent of voters hold a favourable view of the Prime Minister, while 80 per cent have an unfavourable view.


Compare this with past attitudes to Boris Johnson or Jeremy Corbyn. Their worst scores were, respectively, 72 per cent and 71 per cent of voters disapproving. Truss has attracted a level of disapproval nine points worse. Not only that, her approval rating of 10 per cent approval is closer to the level of favourability felt by voters towards Vladimir Putin than to Johnson and Corbyn.

[See also: Liz Truss resigns as Prime Minister after just 44 days]

Select and enter your email address Your weekly guide to the best writing on ideas, politics, books and culture every Saturday. The best way to sign up for The Saturday Read is via saturdayread.substack.com The New Statesman's quick and essential guide to the news and politics of the day. The best way to sign up for Morning Call is via morningcall.substack.com
Visit our privacy Policy for more information about our services, how Progressive Media Investments may use, process and share your personal data, including information on your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications.
THANK YOU

Content from our partners
The UK’s skills shortfall is undermining growth
<strong>What kind of tax reforms would stimulate growth?</strong>
How to end the poverty premium

Topics in this article : , ,