New research from polling company Savanta suggests four in ten (41%) of the UK public thinks the Labour Party has a problem with antisemitism. This is the highest percentage of any major political party in the UK, with the Conservatives second on 24%.
These findings were taken shortly after (16-18 Feb) the Labour Party withdrew its support for their Rochdale by-election candidate Azhar Ali, following days of criticism about his remarks on Israel. Labour leader Keir Starmer was accused of not acting quickly or decisively enough by his political opponents, including Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
The research also shows that one third (31%) of 2019 Labour voters think that the Party has a problem with antisemitism.
The public is divided on whether Labour leader Keir Starmer has done a good job in dealing with allegations of antisemitism in Party. 31% think that he has, but 30% think he has done a bad job since becoming leader. 14% of the public say they don’t know.
Chris Hopkins, Political Research Director at Savanta said, “Up until recently, Keir Starmer could credibly claim great success in purging the Labour Party of antisemitism, after years of challenges under his predecessor. The turmoil surrounding Labour’s Rochdale by-election candidate threatens to undo all that good work. Our research suggests the public do still broadly think he has done a good job in dealing with allegations of antisemitism, but they can’t quite shake the idea the Labour Party still has a problem.”
“While this particular incident likely won’t change too many votes on its own, it could feed into a wider challenge for Keir Starmer. Lots of the public still don’t know what to make of the Labour leader, or where he stands. His slow response could feed into a narrative used by his opponents that he acts based on self-interest, not his principles.”
More broadly, the UK public does think that Keir Starmer has done a good job in making the Labour Party more electable (44%), versus 23% who think he has done a bad job.
This ranked most highly on a series of questions about his work as Labour leader. The public is also more likely to say that Starmer has done a good job in improving Labour’s image (42%) versus those who say he has not (26%).
