A disastrous new poll has put the Conservative Party nearly thirty points behind Labour, as Rishi Sunak’s approval has hit a record new low.
A YouGov survey found that support for the PM’s party has fallen to just 20 per cent, a level not seen in Sunak’s time as Prime Minister.
Approval ratings last hit this level in October 2022, just before Liz Truss was forced out of office.
The polling shows that Labour now has a 27-point lead over the Conservatives.
A disastrous new poll has put the Conservative Party nearly thirty points behind Labour, as Rishi Sunak’s approval has hit a record new low
PA
Support for reform has increased to 12 per cent, a worrying sign for the Conservatives.
The disastrous polling showed that 2019 Conservative voters have little faith in the Prime Minister’s ability to deal with immigration.
Just 35 per cent of respondents said they trust him on the issue. But 54 per cent said they trust Nigel Farage on the issue.
The polling was conducted in the midst of a bruising week for Sunak on migration, with the PM battling dissent over his flagship Rwanda migration legislation.
While the Rwanda Bill passed last night by 320 votes to 276 , over the course of the week he was hit with the resignations of two deputy chairmen of the party – Lee Anderson and Brendan Clarke-Smith, along with the resignation of Kemi Badenoch’s Parliamentary Private Secretary, Jane Stevenson.
The Prime Minister’s 44-majority victory came at a price, with 11 Tory MPs voting against Sunak’s plan.
Former Home Secretary Suella Braverman and ex-Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick voted against the Safety of Rwanda Bill.
Sir Bill Cash, Miriam Cates, Sir Simon Clarke, Sarah Dines, Sir James Duddridge, Mark Francois, Andrea Jenkyns, David Jones and Danny Kruger also opposed the unamended legislation.
Another 18 Tory MPs abstained on the third reading vote, including ex-deputy chairman Lee Anderson and Common Sense Group leader Sir John Hayes.
The Prime Minister will give a press conference this morning to outline his plan for migration going forward.
Tory rebels yesterday also unsuccessfully tabled four amendments looking to create less wriggle room for individual appeals and prevent interference from the European Court of Human Rights.
Fifty-eight Conservative MPs backed the “notwithstanding” amendment put forward by Cash, with the Democratic Unionist Party also putting pressure on the Prime Minister to toughen up the legislation.
Jenrick also struggled to obtain support for his three amendments.
The Newark MP, who resigned as Sunak’s Immigration Minister over the Prime Minister’s revised Rwanda policy in December, was hoping to remove the ability for asylum seekers to block their own removal through suspensive claims, more completely exclude the Human Rights Act from the legislation and prevent so-called “pyjama injunctions”.
Home Secretary James Cleverly issued one last rallying cry to Tory MPs ahead of tonight’s vote.
The Braintree MP, who voiced “respect” for the rebels, said: “The Prime Minister, the Government and I have been clear that we will do whatever it takes to stop the boats and we have of course been making progress on that pledge, reducing small boat arrivals by over a third last year.
“But to stop the boats completely we need to deter people from making these dangerous journeys, from risking their lives and from lining the pockets of evil criminal people-smuggling gangs.
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“The new legally binding treaty with the government of the Republic of Rwanda responds directly to the Supreme Court’s concerns, reflecting the strength of the Government of Rwanda’s protection and commitments.”
However, Labour’s Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper criticised Sunak’s policy.
Responding to Cleverly, Cooper said: “The Home Secretary is wandering naked around this chamber waving a little treaty as a fig leaf to hide his modesty behind. I admit he doesn’t have much modesty to hide.”
She added: “The only thing the Tories all seem to agree on is that the scheme is failing. The Prime Minister is failing and they know it.”
