Seven in ten not confident Conservatives can provide strong and stable leadership

• Lack of public confidence at same levels shown when Liz Truss was Prime Minister.
• 59% expect Keir Starmer to become Prime Minister in the future.

New polling from Ipsos shows seven in ten (70%) Britons are not confident that the Conservative party can provide Britain with strong and stable leadership. Only one in four (25%) say they are confident. Fieldwork was conducted 9th - 10th January 2024.

These figures have worsened from when Rishi Sunak first become Prime Minister in October 2023 (at that time 35% were confident and 54% not confident). The picture is now very similar to the days before Liz Truss left office when 71% lacked confidence, against 23% confident.

Seven in ten (69%) also are not confident that the Conservatives have a good long-term economic plan for Britain, while one in four (26%) say they are confident. Again, these figures have gradually worsened during Rishi Sunak’s time in office (down from 34% confident, 55% not confident in October / November 2022). However, they are not as bad as the worst of Truss’ tenure (17%, 74%).

Labour scores are better but a majority still lack confidence in them too. Two in five (39%) think Sir Keir Starmer’s party can provide Britain with strong and stable leadership, against just over half who do not (53%). The numbers are similar when asked about whether Labour have a good long-term economic plan (36% confident, 54% not confident).

However, the majority of the public still think Keir Starmer will become Prime Minister, with three in five (59%) saying it’s likely (+3 since October 2023), compared to one in five (27%) opting for unlikely (+1). Only one in five (20%) think Rishi Sunak will win the next General Election (-2), compared to seven in ten (71%) saying this is unlikely (+8).

Ipsos Director of Politics Keiran Pedley said of the findings:

These figures suggest that any recovery of the Conservative brand that occurred when Rishi Sunak took over as Prime Minister has more or less been reversed. Voters are as unconvinced in the Conservatives' ability to provide strong and stable leadership as they were in the dying days of Liz Truss’ premiership – and they are equally negative about the party’s long-term economic plan. Confidence in Labour is lukewarm at best. However, the party scores better than the Conservatives overall and a clear majority of Britons expect Keir Starmer to become Prime Minister in the future.

Technical note

Ipsos interviewed a representative quota sample of 1,010 adults aged 18-75 in Great Britain. Interviews took place on the online Omnibus 9-10 January 2024. Data has been weighted to the known offline population proportions. All polls are subject to a wide range of potential sources of error.