Bombshell Survation poll shows that even Labour's *own members* dislike Starmer, Streeting, Kendall and Reeves - and like all people of taste and discernment, they haven't even heard of Ian MurrayAs you may have seen, LabourList have been revealing the results of a poll they commissioned Survation to run among actual paid-up members of the Labour party. Unsurprisingly, the vast majority of Labour ministers have a positive net rating among Labour members, but what leaps out as astounding is that among the minority who have negative ratings just happen to be the party leader and his three key lieutenants who are driving the party's right-wing direction.
Net ratings of Labour ministers among Labour party members (Survation / LabourList):
Ed Miliband: +65
Angela Rayner: +46
Hilary Benn: +31
Lisa Nandy: +29
Yvette Cooper: +25
John Healey: +24
Bridget Phillipson: +23
Heidi Alexander: +19
Shabana Mahmood: +16
Jonathan Reynolds: +14
Peter Kyle: +13
Darren Jones: +11
Jo Stevens: +8
Lucy Powell: +8
David Lammy: +5
Angela Smith: +5
Ian Murray: +3
Pat McFadden: +3
Jenny Chapman: +3
Alan Campbell: +3
Steve Reed: +2
Wes Streeting: -2
Simon Hermer: -3
Keir Starmer: -13
Liz Kendall: -33
Rachel Reeves: -41
Now, I don't want to make sweeping statements about something I've only looked at very superficially, but on the face of it, there does seem to me to be an issue with this poll's methodology. The numbers seem to be weighted to the results of the 2020 leadership election, which I'd have thought must mean that Rebecca Long-Bailey's voters are significantly over-represented, because since 2020 the composition of the Labour membership has fundamentally changed, becoming much less Corbynite and much more Starmerite. However, the data tables show that even among Labour members who actually voted for Starmer in 2020, Liz Kendall and Rachel Reeves have negative ratings (-12 and -21 respectively).
Although Ian Murray just barely has a positive rating among all respondents, an exceptionally high 48% don't have an opinion about him at all, which probably means that they barely even know who he is. That speaks volumes about what a low priority Scotland is for both the Labour party and the Labour government. Among the others who only just eek out a positive rating, it's heartening to see that the awful David Lammy is not particularly well-regarded these days. But the ongoing popularity of Lisa Nandy among Labour members is both inexplicable and depressing.
Here's the weird thing: the net ratings above have very little correlation with the betting odds on who will be the next Labour leader. On the exchanges, Ed Miliband is priced at 100, which must surely be value - I understand the theory that he's already failed once as leader, but as the members will make the decision, and as they seem to adore him, and as he apparently may still be interested in the job...well, work it out for yourself. He must have a higher than 1% chance. Hilary Benn's excessive odds also look like value - he's probably being discounted because he's in his early 70s, but he's several years younger than Donald Trump and might look attractive as a caretaker leader in some circumstances. And although punters are taking Angela Rayner's chances a bit more seriously, her odds of 15 probably still represent value.
Source: Bombshell Survation poll shows that even Labour's *own members* dislike Starmer, Streeting, Kendall and Reeves - and like all people of taste and discernment, they haven't even heard of Ian Murray (//)