Days from power, Keir Starmer remains a mystery to Britain

LONDON — On the cusp of an expected historic victory for Labour, British voters know very little about Keir Starmer and feel ambivalent about him as prime minister, according to new research. 

A poll by Public First shared with POLITICO — for which survyers interviewed 2,011 voters and building on similar polls and qualitative research over the last five years — suggests the opposition Labour leader remains a mystery for much of the population.

However the poll also points to cautious optimism among the electorate that the man widely expected to enter 10 Downing Street at the July 4 election on Thursday can change things for the better.

Many voters are in the dark about aspects of Starmer’s background, despite his concerted efforts during the past five weeks of the election campaign to open up about his family, his values and his motivations in a bid to appear more relatable.

At the same time, people appear deeply split over what Starmer can offer the country as prime minister, bolstering accusations that have dogged him throughout his time as Labour leader that he has not presented a clear policy offer and has a tendency to backtrack on his own decisions.

Denise Baron, associate director at Public First, said the research painted a picture of “someone the public are quietly hoping does a more competent job” than Conservative prime ministers who have run the U.K. for the last 14 years, but “there is no great wave of hope, nor a sense that radical change is coming.”

Oblivious to his love of football

Almost a quarter of respondents in the survey said they thought Starmer had worked in politics his entire life, despite his long career as a top barrister culminating in a spell running the country’s prosecution service.

Attempts by Labour strategists to highlight Starmer’s humble roots — he has repeatedly shared his experiences as a child as his parents struggled to pay the bills — seem not to have cut through either, with 62 percent insisting Starmer had “never had to worry about money.”

Fifty-six percent of respondents either incorrectly said Starmer — a committed Arsenal supporter who regularly plays five-a-side — was not a football fan, or that they didn’t know either way.

In questions about how he would lead the country, half of respondents to Public First said it was very or somewhat clear what Starmer stood for, while the other half said it was very or somewhat unclear.

About even numbers of the public said they liked or disliked him, trusted or distrusted him, and thought he represented people like them or didn’t. Slightly more people (39 percent) thought Starmer did not keep his promises than those who thought he did (32 percent). 

Public First said that when asked to consider Starmer’s various personal characteristics, voter ratings had grown slightly more favorable since similar polling was carried out in January, including on whether he was “dull.”

Competent and hard-working

However, there were also signs of optimism in the Public First findings about Starmer taking over as prime minister.

The Labour leader was far more popular than his Conservative rival and seen as having positive fundamental attributes, such as being hard-working and competent.

Voters were almost twice as likely to say that Starmer was a good leader than current Conservative PM Rishi Sunak, and among those who said they wanted Starmer to be prime minister, he was widely seen as a “strong leader” who “would be honest with the public.”

Starmer’s efforts to transform Labour in the wake of the left-winger Jeremy Corbyn’s divisive leadership appear to have paid off, with 44 percent saying the current leader had helped to unite the party and 40 percent that he had done well to get rid of perceived extremism within its ranks.

Asked about a long list of Starmer’s actions since he took over, more than 40 percent of the public said they thought he’d done a good job on campaigning in recent elections, offering a credible alternative to the Conservatives and holding the Tory government to account.

Together, the polling’s findings indicate voters are not crazy about Starmer or clear about what he presents — but do seem to want change and appear prepared to give Labour a chance.