It comes as Sir Keir finds himself in damage control mode for a second week running, having been forced into yet another U-turn in a deepening anti-Semitism crisis.
On Tuesday, he suspended Graham Jones, who was due to stand for Labour in Hyndburn, after it emerged that he referred to “f—ing Israel” at a public meeting and said that British volunteers in the Israel Defense Forces should be “locked up”.
Sir Keir was pushed into the decision less than a day after he retracted his support for Azhar Ali, Labour’s candidate in this month’s Rochdale by-election, whose own “abhorrent” claims about Israel sparked the latest row.
The first key test of the fallout from both controversies will come on Thursday, when voters in Kingswood and Wellingborough go to the polls in a double by-election that had been expected to deliver a blow to Rishi Sunak.
The Savanta poll of roughly 2,000 UK adults was carried out from 9 to 11 February, and contrasted with results from its last survey on 26 to 28 January. If the results were replicated at a general election, according to seat-modelling site Electoral Calculus, Labour would be on course for a majority of 92.
Mr Hopkins, the firm’s political research director, said: “This significant drop in Labour’s lead may well be in response to a torrid couple of weeks for Keir Starmer’s party, and part of a wider trend. It may also be something else entirely, and I’d caution people not to read too much into one poll – yet.
“But this poll still serves as useful a reminder as any that Labour’s lead – while consistently high for many months – is not infallible. Voters have not quite made up their mind about Keir Starmer’s Labour Party, and doubts could well be creeping back in.
“One thing is for certain, if this drop in the polls is a consequence of their recent troubles, it does not bode well for a short campaign. A Conservative machine in full swing and the inevitable increased scrutiny from the media may well be very uncomfortable for the Labour Party.”
William Turner is a seasoned U.K. correspondent with a deep understanding of domestic affairs. With a passion for British politics and culture, he provides insightful analysis and comprehensive coverage of events within the United Kingdom.
