Sir Keir Starmer has received a boost in his popularity after a dramatic week on the world stage, in which he led a series of talks on the future of Ukraine.
This time last week, the PM was preparing for his high-stakes visit to the White House on February 27.
It was widely seen as a success – but it was the meeting between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky the following day that ended up setting Sir Keir’s agenda for the week.
After that unmitigated diplomatic disaster, the Prime Minister’s summit of European leaders in London on Sunday took on a new urgency.
He was widely praised for his response to the situation, which emphasised talking directly with both Zelensky and Trump to find a route out of the crisis.
On Monday, MPs from several different parties offered him praise following a statement updating the House of Commons on his efforts.
A new poll from YouGov suggests the general public may have had a similar reaction after a woeful first few months for the PM’s approval rating.
Since mid-February, the number of Brits who have a favourable view of him has jumped from 26% to 31%, giving him his highest net rating in six months.
Sir Keir meeting Donald Trump at the White House last Thursday (Picture: Carl Court/PA Wire)
In contrast, the public’s opinion of Nigel Farage has dipped, going from 30% to 26% in the same time frame.
The Reform leader’s net favourability is now 11 points lower than Sir Keir’s – a stunning reversal from last month, when he was 10 points higher.
Meanwhile, Donald Trump has become even more unpopular than before among Brits.
The most jarring change in his rating comes from Reform supporters, whose leader Nigel Farage is unabashed in his backing of the US president.
In just two-and-a-half weeks, Trump has gone from a +38 net favourability rating to -8 among people who vote Reform UK.
Zelensky is now 17 points more popular than Trump among that group, a dramatic shift from last month – and the contrast is even more stark among the general public.
While 71% of Brits have a favourable view of Volodymyr Zelensky, just 15% feel the same way about Donald Trump.
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