Revolt! MPs Tell Starmer: You're The Most Unpopular PM Ever

Just days after the conclusion of a tumultuous annual conference, the Labour Party has been plunged into fresh open warfare with two of its own Members of Parliament publicly calling for Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to step down, warning his leadership is "very unpopular" and destined for election defeat.

The extraordinary challenge to the Prime Minister's authority comes as a combination of factors—including a cabinet reshuffle, controversial new policies, and a dramatic collapse in polling—signal a government in deep crisis, barely a year after its landslide 2024 general election victory.

The Starmer "Peaceful" First Week: A Distant Memory

To address the prompt directly: No, Sir Keir Starmer did not pass his first week peacefully after becoming British prime minister on July 5, 2024. While the very first 72 hours of a new premiership are universally intense with security briefings, ministerial appointments, and setting initial policy direction, Starmer's initial months were fraught with the immense demands of governing, including major policy announcements and handling the transition of power. Any notion of a "peaceful week" for a modern British Prime Minister, especially one following a significant electoral change, is a political fantasy.

A year on, the current picture is one of constant turmoil.
Rebels Speak Out: "It's Inevitable That the Prime Minister Will Go"

The most potent blow was delivered by former Shadow Cabinet Minister Richard Burgon and Liverpool Riverside MP Kim Johnson at a fringe event titled 'Can Labour Win back the Working Class?' at the recent Labour annual conference in Liverpool.

Mr. Burgon predicted that a disastrous showing in the upcoming May 2026 elections, including for the Welsh and Scottish Parliaments, would trigger a leadership contest.

"It's inevitable that if next May... the election results are as catastrophic as opinion poll after opinion poll suggests, it's just a law of political gravity that the Prime Minister will go, and it will therefore turn out that this will have been his last conference," Mr. Burgon stated to activists. He further warned that Labour's failure to address key issues like the cost-of-living crisis and cuts to benefits, which he and other left-wing MPs had opposed, was driving the party into an "appalling situation in the opinion polls" and risks paving the way for the UK's first "far-right government" under Reform UK.

Ms. Johnson delivered an even sharper personal assessment, branding Sir Keir as "very, very unpopular" and accusing him and his inner circle of actively destroying the party's foundations, which has alienated their traditional working-class base. Asked if Labour could reconnect with its core support, she replied bluntly, "I would have to say it can only do that under a new direction of this Labour Party."

The Polling Catastrophe: A Record Low

The backbench rebellion is directly correlated with a disastrous slide in Labour’s standing with the public. Updated information from recent polling confirms the scale of the crisis:

• Approval Rating Record Low: The Prime Minister's personal satisfaction ratings have plummeted to a new record low. An Ipsos poll recently reported that only 13% of voters were satisfied with Starmer, against 79% dissatisfied, giving him a net satisfaction rating of -66. This is reportedly the lowest satisfaction rating recorded by the pollster for any British Prime Minister since 1977. Other polls indicate a net approval rating as low as -47 or -40.
• Reform UK Surges Ahead: On the voting intention front, Labour has fallen significantly behind the right-wing populist party, Reform UK, led by Nigel Farage. Latest polls show Reform UK leading Labour by up to 8 percentage points, with Labour's support sinking to around 20-21%, a decline of over 20 percentage points since the 2024 general election campaign.
• Policy Blowback: Starmer's recent proposals have been met with public scorn. His announcement of a national digital ID scheme was described as having the "reverse Midas touch," causing public support for the measure to collapse from a net positive to a net negative.

Public and Political Reaction

Opposition figures, notably from the Conservatives, were quick to highlight the divisions. Matt Vickers, the Deputy Chairman, claimed Labour's "civil war is out in the open," suggesting Starmer now has a "clock on his premiership."

The mood among the public, as reflected in social media and comment sections, is one of deep cynicism.

• A commenter, Keir Nocchio, dismissed the leader, stating Starmer's rating is "Not only the worst here, difficult to bring one to mind from anywhere. That also applies to the vast majority of his cabinet, has there ever been a more incompetent, dishonest set of individuals. Bereft of any integrity, happy to sell the British people down the river."
•  Smith Allan offered a metaphorical barb: "To paraphrase a quote used by a previous, memorable Prime Minister, 'The ostrich is not for turning its' head in the sand'."
• Another, Nigel Price, specifically pointed to policy decisions for the lost support: "Labour first lost it when they cheered 10 million pensioners losing the Winter Fuel Payment with no warning... Then they compounded it by the hike in NI on businesses, the hike in Inheritance Tax on farming families and 'Mad' Ed's £10 Billion a year down the drain on his Net Zero obsession."

The Labour Party leadership remains defiant, with a source playing down the calls for a change in direction. They defended Starmer's track record, pointing to the landslide 2024 victory and claiming the government has "taken the tough but necessary decisions to put working people first." They concluded that while "Reform feeds off division and decline, our Labour Government is driving forward change."

Despite the official bravado, the political gravity Burgon warned of is becoming undeniable. With his leadership facing unprecedented pressure, Sir Keir Starmer has a turbulent path ahead to convince his own party, let alone the increasingly critical electorate, that he is the right person to lead the government into the next election.