Keir Starmer remains unfazed by recent farm protests as Kemi Badenoch’s initial surge in popularity seems to have hit a roadblock, according to the latest Techne UK weekly tracker poll for The Independent. Despite facing criticism for meeting with China’s president just before pro-democracy activists were jailed in Hong Kong, Starmer actually increased his lead over the Tories by two points.
Labour saw a slight increase to 29 percent, while the Tories remained stagnant at 27 percent. Nigel Farage’s Reform UK also stayed unchanged at 17 percent, with the Lib Dems dropping one point to 12 percent and the Greens remaining at 7 percent.
Badenoch, who had been gaining momentum after taking over as Conservative Party leader, has faced pushback from senior MPs within her party. Calls for her to be more proactive in setting out a positive vision and agenda have emerged from different factions of the party, highlighting a need for clearer policy direction.
Despite the challenges, Badenoch received support from leadership rival Tom Tugendhat, who praised her leadership qualities and expressed confidence in her abilities. The political landscape seems to have reached a standstill as major parties navigate through the current political climate.
The Techne tracker poll reflects a slight uptick for Starmer’s Labour Party, indicating a possible shift in momentum. However, the overall political landscape remains in a state of uncertainty as parties assess their strategies moving forward. The coming weeks will reveal whether the Conservatives can regain momentum or if Badenoch’s leadership will face further challenges.
