Claim:
Keir Starmer’s net favorability score makes him the least popular UK prime minister in history.
Rating: False
The Viral Claim:
A TikTok post by a Reform UK candidate falsely claimed that Keir Starmer’s approval rating of -38 is the lowest ever for a UK prime minister, making him the “most hated prime minister the UK has ever seen.” The misinformation gained traction, accumulating over 25,000 likes. The claim was based on a screenshot of a graph by the polling organization More in Common, showing a sharp decline in Starmer’s popularity between August and October 2024.
FactCheck United Kingdom’s Verification:
1. Misleading Data Interpretation:
While More in Common’s research confirms Starmer’s approval rating has dropped to -38, this figure does not set a historical record. Several past prime ministers have recorded much lower approval ratings.
2. Historical Context:
- John Major’s approval rating fell to -59 in 1994.
- Theresa May’s dipped to -49 in 2019.
- Boris Johnson’s rating dropped to -53 in 2022.
- Liz Truss holds the record for the lowest approval rating, with YouGov data showing her at -70 in October 2022.
3. Research Methodology:
More in Common calculates net favorability by subtracting the percentage of respondents who rate the prime minister’s performance as “bad” from those rating it “good.” The TikTok claim ignored the broader historical data that places Starmer’s rating within a context of fluctuating public sentiment toward leaders.
4. Amplification of False Claims:
The TikTok post used a graph misattributed to More in Common, which was later verified through reverse image searches. The original post on X had only 60 views but was amplified on TikTok, misleading a broader audience.
Supporting Evidence:
- Polling data from More in Common (October 2024) and YouGov.
- Historical approval ratings of UK prime ministers from Ipsos and YouGov archives.
Conclusion:
Keir Starmer’s approval rating of -38 is not the lowest on record for a UK prime minister. The viral claim is false and misrepresents polling data to portray Starmer as uniquely unpopular. Historical data shows other prime ministers have faced significantly lower favorability scores.
Result: False Claim.
