Theresa May is the most popular leader on record – the Left needs to figure out why
May has an unprecedented leadership score of 61
Theresa May is more popular than either Margaret Thatcher or Tony Blair were during their best years, according to a new Ipsos MORI poll.
Since the 1970s, the pollster has been asking which of the party leaders would make ‘the most capable prime minister’. In their most recent survey, 61 per cent opted for May, compared to just 23 per cent for Jeremy Corbyn.
Thatcher’s high water mark was 48 per cent in 1983, while Blair hit 52 per cent in 2001.
The overall voter intention figures are no less disturbing, with the Conservatives hoovering up support both from UKIP and from Labour, bringing them up six points to 48 per cent.
May’s personal approval will have a huge impact on June’s election, but many on the Left remain mystified by her popularity. Across the progressive space, party strategists must devote significant attention to understanding the effectiveness of Brand May, the better to dismantle it ahead of 8 June.
See: For the first time since the 1850s, the Tories may take the majority of seats in Wales
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