Post-Financial Crash Era: No Net Positive Ratings for UK Prime Ministers, Ipsos Study Reveals

A recent Ipsos survey conducted for the Standard sheds light on the public’s perception of Liz Truss’ time in office, which was marked by chaos and a short-lived administration.

According to the poll, a staggering 72 per cent of adults believe that Truss changed the country for the worse during her brief tenure.

This negative sentiment resonates strongly with the public, leaving only a minuscule five per cent who think she made positive improvements – making her the sole recent premier to fail to gain double-digit approval ratings.

Truss’ Resignation and Economic Meltdown:

Truss’ tumultuous reign came to an end after just 45 days when the country was facing an economic meltdown, partly attributed to her chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng’s September 2022 mini budget.

The aftermath of her administration left the majority of the population with a critical view of her leadership.

Comparison with Other Prime Ministers:

The Ipsos survey also compared Truss’ public perception to that of other former Prime Ministers, such as Boris Johnson, Theresa May, David Cameron, and Gordon Brown.

Interestingly, for these four leaders, more people believed they left the country in a worse state upon leaving Downing Street than when they entered it.

Conversely, only a small percentage felt that they had improved the country during their tenures.

Margaret Thatcher and Sir Tony Blair’s Legacy:

Among the former Prime Ministers, Margaret Thatcher scored the highest approval rating, with 46 per cent of respondents stating that she changed Britain for the better, while 37 per cent felt she changed it for the worse.

Sir Tony Blair followed closely with 42 per cent believing he made positive changes and 36 per cent viewing his legacy negatively, despite the controversy surrounding the Iraq War.

Other Prime Ministers’ Ratings:

Sir John Major, despite presiding over the challenging Black Wednesday when Britain withdrew from the European exchange rate mechanism in 1992, received a more positive rating, with 26 per cent seeing his tenure as beneficial and 19 per cent viewing it as detrimental.

In contrast, Boris Johnson’s ratings were significantly polarized, with 62 per cent believing he changed things for the worse and only 25 per cent seeing positive improvements.

Theresa May, who struggled to get Brexit through the Commons, received a poor rating of 49 per cent for the worse and 21 per cent for the better.

David Cameron, who held the Brexit referendum, had a rating of 45 per cent for the worse and 29 per cent for the better, while Gordon Brown received 33 per cent for the worse and 28 per cent for the better.

Concerns About Rishi Sunak:

The survey also looked ahead to Rishi Sunak’s potential impact as Prime Minister.

38 per cent of respondents expressed concerns that he may leave Britain in a worse state than when he assumed office in October of the previous year, while only 24 per cent were optimistic that he could improve the country’s position before the next election.

Overall, the poll’s findings show a lack of net positive ratings for any Prime Minister since the financial crash, indicating a widespread skepticism regarding the performance of recent leaders.

Liz Truss stands out in particular, with even a majority of her own supporters expressing criticism of her tenure.