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UK election polls: Only 25 per cent of voters say Jeremy Corbyn is equipped to run Britain

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Getty Images

Just one in four voters think Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is ready to become Prime Minister, an exclusive poll reveals today.

An overwhelming majority of 65 per cent believe he is not equipped to step into No 10, according to the Ipsos MORI survey for the Standard.

The finding, ahead of tonight’s live debate on BBC1, suggests millions of voters have already decided that Mr Corbyn is not suited for the highest office.

His ratings have gone down since 2017 when he lost to Theresa May — and an astonishing 73 per cent now say they do not like him.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn (Jeremy Selwyn)
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn (Jeremy Selwyn)

Labour faced new controversy over its Left-wing manifesto today when shadow chancellor John McDonnell admitted it opened the door to the return of secondary picketing, a form of industrial action that caused major disruption to Britain in the Seventies before being outlawed.

“We’ll make sure that people have the right, as in the ILO [International Labour Organisation] conventions, to withdraw their labour, yes,” said Mr McDonnell when asked on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme whether Labour would repeal the ban.

Secondary picketing is where unions in one sector, such as rail, stage stoppages to assist strikers in an unrelated sector, massively increasing union power.

Mr McDonnell admitted that Labour’s tax burden would be “high” when asked on Sky about a claim by the Institute for Fiscal Studies that he would impose the highest demand since the Second World War.

John McDonnell (PA)
John McDonnell (PA)

“It is high,” confirmed the shadow chancellor, adding that spending was needed because “our public services are in a terrible state”.

Labour’s split over immigration deepened today after 35 parliamentary candidates signed personal statements promising to defend free movement, going against the manifesto which watered down a party conference resolution to extend unfettered access for EU citizens.

Candidates who signed the pledge include London candidates Tulip Siddiq, who told the Standard they were “precious rights”, and David Lammy who added: “It would be deeply wrong to take this away from future generations.”

Fewer voters think Mr Corbyn is ready to take the reins than did in 2017, when he scored 31 per cent. His score is marginally higher than the 21 per cent that Ed Miliband achieved in 2015 before one of the party’s worst ever defeats.

By contrast, triple election winner Tony Blair was deemed ready to govern by 53 per cent of the public in April 1997, a month before he won with a landslide. Other findings that suggest Mr Corbyn could be Labour’s weakest link include:

An overwhelming majority of 73 per cent say they “do not like” Mr Corbyn, an even worse score than the 67 per cent who do not like Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage.

Just 23 per cent like Mr Corbyn, giving him the lowest “likeability” score since 2007, when Ipsos MORI began asking the question. Boris Johnson is “liked” by 44 per cent, Jo Swinson by 34, and Nigel Farage by 27.

Mr Johnson is clear ahead as the most “capable” Prime Minister, chosen by 49 per cent compared with only 30 per cent for Mr Corbyn.

Just 22 per cent think Labour has “a good team of leaders” compared with 37 per cent for the Conservatives.

Polls suggest momentum around the Tories is building (Getty Images)
Polls suggest momentum around the Tories is building (Getty Images)

Mr Corbyn is half as popular as the party he leads. Some 49 per cent like the Labour Party, double the score its leader achieved.

Mr Johnson is equally popular with his party, liked by around 44 per cent. Labour is behind the Conservatives on a string of key indicators. Asked which parties were divided, 75 per cent said Labour and 62 per cent said the Conservatives.

Labour was seen as “extreme” by 50 per cent, while only 33 per cent said the word applied to the Tories.

Mr Corbyn’s party was well ahead, however, on the score for “concerned about people in real need in Britain”, with 59 per cent saying it applied to them, and just 34 per cent saying it applied to the Conservatives.

But while 46 per cent said the Tories were “fit to govern” just 29 per cent thought Labour was.

Asked today how he could reassure the public that he would be able to implement his spending plans, Mr Corbyn said: “We’ve costed it through — the needs of this country are enormous.

"The housing crisis, the underfunding of schools, the needs of our health service, the lack of infrastructure development — we need all that.”

Gideon Skinner, head of political research at Ipsos MORI, said the big question was whether voters’ affection for Labour would “overcome the public’s wider doubts” about its leader and competence.

Ipsos MORI interviewed 1,228 adults across GB by phone, November 15-19. Data are weighted. Details from ipsos-mori.com