Bombshell new ballot reveals Labour falling behind Tories | Politics | News | EUROtoday

A squirming Sir Keir Starmer has urged his senior Labour colleagues  to disregard dismal ballot rankings as a brand new survey exhibits the occasion languishing behind the Conservatives for the primary time for the reason that basic election. The analysis from YouGov for The Times exhibits Labour in third place with simply 17%, with the Tories in second and Reform UK within the lead.

Nigel Farage’s occasion have been storming the polls for months now and this one was no completely different displaying the sunshine blue of Reform UK with 26% of the voting intention amongst greater than 2,300 adults surveyed on January 3 and 4. But what will even be alarming for the Labour hierarchy was this time the Conservatives additionally overtook Labour with 19% of these polled saying they’d contemplate voting for Kemi Badenoch’s occasion. Sir Keir has already needed to face down rumours of revolt inside Labour and discuss of potential management challengers from Health Secretary Wes Streeting and former Deputy PM, Angela Rayner.

Both Mr Streeting and Ms Rayner have publicly denied they need the highest job.

At the primary Cabinet assembly of 2026, Sir Keir tried to dismiss the worrying polling traits, which if replicated, may result in Labour being decimated on the native elections in May.

Starmer referred to as for Cabinet self-discipline and a give attention to tackling the price of dwelling within the first assembly of his high crew in a probably crucial 12 months for his premiership. He informed his senior ministers that their problem for 2026 is to point out “hard work, focus and determination” in serving to to ease the monetary burden on households.

With Labour dealing with a troublesome set of elections in England, Scotland and Wales in May, the Prime Minister is underneath stress to point out outcomes.

He informed his colleagues on the assembly in Downing Street immediately (Tuesday): “I do not underestimate the scale of the task. But I have no doubt about this team. Governments do not lose because polls go down. They lose when they lose belief or nerve. We will do neither.”

The political a part of the assembly befell after an official Cabinet assembly, with civil servants current, that lasted lower than 10 minutes.

The newest ballot by The Times confirmed the Liberal Democrats on 16%, one level forward of The Greens with 15%.