Evidence of Starmer honeymoon as Labour voters give their expectations

The final Ipsos General Election 2024 campaign tracker show that Britons are net positive towards Keir Starmer.
  • Britons net positive towards Keir Starmer. Net favourability is +7 now compared to -13 before the General Election
  • Most common response to election result is to feel hopeful and relieved
  • Clear majorities of Labour voters expect more money for public services and improvements to the NHS this year

The final Ipsos General Election 2024 campaign tracker, taken on 5-6th July, explores attitudes towards the election campaign and the issues that mattered for the public when it came to voting.

Keir Starmer honeymoon

  • 40% of Britons are favourable towards Keir Starmer and 33% are unfavourable. This net favourable score of +7 compares to -7 in the final week of the campaign itself and -13 the week before the campaign started.
  • Perceptions of Starmer have improved since February this year in a range of areas. 54% now think he understands the problems facing Britain (+7), 50% think he has a plan to make the country a better place (+10), 50% say he is a capable leader (+12). 49% say he pays attention to detail (+12).
Ipsos Chart: Image of Keir Starmer: Trend data on changes in attitudes towards his personal attributes November 2022 - July 2024

 

  • When asked how the result of the General Election makes them feel, the most common sentiments are hopeful (36%) and relieved (24%).  Although almost one in five feel either frustrated or afraid (both 19%).
  • 43% tell Ipsos they expect Keir Starmer to change Britain for the better. Just 18% say for the worse.
  • 39% say the election result makes them feel more positive about the next 5 years and 31% say it makes them feel more negative.

Voter expectations for a Keir Starmer government

  • Expectations are high for a Starmer government. Among those Labour voters that put Keir Starmer in Number 10, 7 in 10 or more expect his government to improve the NHS (79%), spend more on public services (77%), improve the economy (75%) and improve living standards for people on low incomes (72%).
Ipsos Chart: How will Labour perform on key issues in the next year / the next five years? Among 2024 Labour voters Improve the NHS 79% 84% Improve Britain’s economy 75% 77% Spend more on public services 77% 81% Improve living standards for people on low-incomes 72% 78% Reduce social inequality 65% 68% Make Britons feel proud of their country 64% 67% Reduce the cost of living 64% 69% Get a better deal for Britain’s future relationship with the EU 62% 66% Reduce social divisions 58% 63% Improve my own standard of living 56% 61% Reduce crime 51% 62% Reduce immigration 40% 48% Reduce taxation 39% 47%

 

  • Even for the public as a whole 55% expect Starmer’s government to spend more money on public services in the next year and 47% expect them to improve the NHS.

Elsewhere in the Ipsos poll

  • 59% are unfavourable towards the Conservative Party, just 20% are favourable. In contrast, 40% are favourable towards Labour and 34% unfavourable. 

Ipsos Director of Politics Keiran Pedley said of the findings:

These findings suggest something of a honeymoon period for Keir Starmer, with more Britons favourable towards him than before the General Election and Britons more likely to expect his government to change things for the better than worse. Those Labour voters that put him in Downing Street have clear expectations of what they want to see delivered and expect to see more money for public services and improvements to the NHS quickly. Therefore, there is no time to spare for the incoming Government when it comes to delivering on the public’s key priorities. 

Technical Note

Ipsos interviewed a representative sample of 1,141 adults aged 18+ across Great Britain. Polling was conducted online between 5-6 July 2024. Data are weighted to match the profile of the population. All polls are subject to a wide range of potential sources of error.

Download

The author(s)

Related news