Kemi Badenoch's Initial Tory Leadership Approval Ratings Fall Short

Kemi Badenoch's first approval ratings as Conservative leader show a net approval of -5%, according to an Opinium poll for the Observer.

This places her behind former leaders Rishi Sunak and Boris Johnson at similar stages in their tenures, but ahead of Liz Truss, who started with -9%.

Among Tory voters from the last election, 46% approve of Badenoch, with 36% feeling neutral.

In contrast, Labour leader Keir Starmer holds a -24 net approval rating but leads by 12 points as the preferred Prime Minister.

Badenoch is noted for her perceived bravery, with a net score of +8, surpassing Starmer who stands at -19.

The poll, conducted from November 11-13 with 2,050 voters, also reflects British attitudes towards Donald Trump’s re-election.

Opinions are divided, with 30% viewing it positively and 44% negatively for the US.

Despite global tensions, there is limited pressure on the UK government to increase defence spending, with mixed responses on Trump’s impact on US-UK relations and Ukraine.