Even Labour Party members have lost confidence in Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves

Even Labour Party members have no confidence in Chancellor Rachel Reeves and fear her spring statement will cost the party votes, a new poll revealed. Approval ratings for Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall have also plummeted among activists, following benefit cuts which the Government admits will plunge 250,000 people into poverty.

Labour members now expect Reform UK to win a stunning victory in the Runcorn and Helsby by-election on May 1. This would be a humiliation for Keir Starmer after Labour held the Cheshire seat in 2024 with a 14,696 majority. The sharp drop in support for the party leadership was revealed in polling carried out by Survation for LabourList, a website for activists.

Survation chief executive Damian Lyons Lowe said: "Approval has not just dipped; it's collapsed in key demographics and regions. As Labour marks five years under Starmer, this data points to a critical moment of reflection for the leadership.

"Labour members are sending a clear warning: the Spring Statement risks alienating core supporters just weeks before key elections."

The survey found Ms Reeves has seen her approval rating among members plummet by almost 30 percentage points since the Spring Statement, down from -11 last month to -41 now. The figure is the difference between the proportion who approve of her performance and those who disapprove, with lower numbers showing less support.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall also saw similar drops in their approval, with a decline of around 26 points each.

At the same time, around 80% of LabourList readers expect the government's Spring Statement and welfare reforms to cost the party votes, just weeks ahead of council and mayoral elections on May 1.

Some 71% of those polled had a negative view of the Chancellor's Spring Statement, with 64% believing it was worse than they expected, compared to just 30% who said it was better than they anticipated.

And 53% expect Reform to win the Runcorn and Helsby by-election prompted by the resignation of former MP Mike Amesbury after he was convicted of assault, with just 23% saying they think Labour will be victorious.

Mr Lyons Lowe said: "Expectations among Labour's own members that the party could lose ground to Reform UK in places like Runcorn highlight deep concerns about Labour's ability to retain support in key areas. The pessimism about both local and mayoral contests reflects a fragile mood in the run-up to May's elections."