Less than a third of voters trust the government as Labour’s woes intensify, poll suggests

Conservatives close the gap with Labour to its lowest level since Boris Johnson was in Downing Street

Less than a third of voters have trust in the government as Labour’s woes intensify, according to a new poll.

The Conservatives have also closed the gap with Labour to its lowest level since April 2022, when Boris Johnson was still prime minister.

The Techne UK weekly tracker poll for The Independent will pile pressure on Sir Keir Starmer as he prepares for the toughest test of his premiership so far - this month’s Budget.

Already a cabinet row over swingeing spending cuts has erupted into the open, even as the party tries to move on from controversies over freebies, tickets to Taylor Swift concerts and the decision to strip millions of pensioners of their winter fuel allowance.

In a chaotic few weeks, Sir Keir has also been forced to sack his chief of staff Sue Gray and faced accusations he will break a manifesto pledge with tax rises in the Budget.

Prime minister Sir Keir Starmer is preparing for the toughest test of his premiership so far, the Budget (PA Wire)

The poll also shows just 41 per cent say they would definitely vote if there was an election tomorrow, while older voters switching to the Tories has closed the gap between the two main parties to just 3 points.

And 30 per cent of voters say they trust the government’s ability to run the country over the next year.

Techne UK’s chief executive Dr Michela Morizzo said the latest poll results “continue to make very difficult reading for the Labour government”.

She added: “Sir Keir Starmer’s party drop a further point in national vote share now down to 28 per cent. By contrast, the Conservatives grow a point in national vote share recording 25 per cent, putting them in touching distance of Labour - a gap of just three points.

“With Reform UK standing steady on 19 per cent of national vote share the Lib Dems increase their rating slightly going up 1 point to 13 per cent.

“On top of this, just 41 per cent of the electorate say they would vote if there was an election tomorrow - the lowest such figure in recent years - and many older voters are clearly switching back to the Conservatives too.

“This means that the public opinion is paying attention to what is happening in politics, and it will be very interesting to see what will happen after the new Conservative Party leader is elected.

“Indeed, in recent history, no new incumbent government has fared quite so badly in just three and a bit months in office. And Sir Keir Starmer needs to focus on this and start planning countermoves that may help Labour perform better.”