Yougov published an interesting opinion poll recently which assessed how recent developments, including regarding the war in Ukraine, had affected the favourability ratings of various leading politicians in this country. It made for very revealing news with regards to opinions in the North of England.
There was a particularly interesting contrast between the favourability of Keir Starmer and Reform leader Nigel Farage and their respective parties.
Party favourability
Regarding the favourability of different parties, the Labour party was viewed favourably by 34% of respondents in the survey, while 60% viewed it unfavourably, giving a net unfavourability of 26%. This contrasted with the Conservative Party, which had was viewed favourably by 22% and unfavourably by a whopping 72%, giving the official opposition a net unfavourability of 50% in the North of England.
Perhaps most interesting were the results for Reform UK, which have been seen recently as in the position to take over from Labour as the dominant party in the North of England. In the recent Yougov poll, Reform was seen favourably by 28% of Northern respondents, while 61% had an unfavourable view of Farage’s party. This gave Reform a net unfavourability of 33% across the North.
The most popular party in the North of England in the survey was actually the Liberal Democrats. They had a favourability of 38%, with an unfavourability rating of 43%, giving a small net unfavourability rating of 5%.
Favourability of party leaders
So, how do different political leaders rate in the North of England?
Well, this is where the results of the survey become particularly interesting. The most popular leaders of major parties in the North are the co-leaders of the Green Party. They have a favourability rating of 42%, with an unfavourability of 39% actually giving a net favourability of 3%. Keir Starmer, by way of contrast, is seen favourably by 32% in the North, but unfavourably by 59%, giving a net unfavourability of 27%.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, official opposition leader Kemi Badenoch fares even worse than Starmer. Badenoch’s favourability rating is 17% across the North, with her unfavourability at 48%, giving a net unfavourability of 31%, not great news for someone who could still be said to be in their honeymoon period, having only recently been elected as leader of the Conservatives.
And what about Nigel Farage, of the apparently surging Reform UK? Well, Farage’s favourability rating across the North is 27%, less than Starmer and the Green party leaders, while his unfavourability rating is as high as 64% across the North, the highest of all the political leaders mentioned in the survey. This gives Farage a net unfavourability rating across the North of 37%.
What is going on?
Well, they make very interesting results don’t they? According to this Yougov survey, the most popular party across the North of England are the Liberal Democrats and the most popular leaders are the co-leaders of the Green Party.
Perhaps the first point to be made is that Prime Minister Starmer and his Labour party are struggling in their northern heartlands and this is clearly something that needs to be addressed. Perhaps they could tear up the Treasury Green Book and stop concentrating so much of the national investment in London and the South East of England. Recently, we have heard about huge investment plans for a third runway for Heathrow Airport, a second runway for Gatwick Airport and new Thames crossing and the development of a ‘Silicon Valley’ between Oxford and Cambridge and while there was a welcome announcement in early March there has not been a single similar-sized investment plan for the North. Indeed, I recently heard at the Convention of the North in Preston that while the very welcome Eden Project North is still due to be built at Morecambe in Lancashire, no plans had been put in place to improve public transport to get visitors there.
It is also interesting to see that the Conservatives, who might be expected to be recovering from the July 2024 election, with a new leader in place are still incredibly unpopular in the North of England. They still have little or nothing to say to Northerners.
However, the most interesting result in the survey is probably that recorded for Farage and his Reform UK party. There is no sign yet of a breakthrough for either Farage or Reform in the North of England and indeed Farage is the most unpopular of all political party leaders in our part of the world. There has been much speculation as to why this is so, with much of it centring on Farage’s perceived links with Trump and Putin , both of whom Farage has publicly praised. Indeed it could also be said that the firm opposition of both the Greens and the Lib Dems to Trump can explain why they are viewed more favourably.
Perhaps the North of England is remembering its roots and values based on solidarity, tolerance and fairness.
CLICK HERE TO DONATE TO OUR CROWDFUNDER
HELP US BECOME STRONGER SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO DELIVER POWERFUL CITIZEN JOURNALISM!
