Labour poll ratings over last 12 months the worst it has had in opposition

Labour’s opinion poll ratings are the worst it is has had in opposition, according to new research.

The party is currently 11 points behind the Conservatives and today the Press Association published its analysis of data from the Nuffield Series of British General Election studies and found Labour has never had such low ratings 12 months after a leadership election.

Analysis shows this is the worst result since polling began in the 1950s. After 12 months of Ed Miliband being elected as leader, Labour were ahead of the Conservatives by an average of three points.

The polling gap between the two parties is the second biggest for any mainstream opposition party in recent history. Labour had a 25-point lead over the Conservatives in June 1998.

Today marks one year since Jeremy Corbyn was elected to lead the party. Recent months have been marked by internal feuding. The party is in the midst of a leadership contest with Owen Smith challenging Corbyn to be leader of the party.

Yesterday McDonnell addressed the work Labour’s senior team still had to do. He told BBC Radio 5 Live’s Pienaar’s Politics”

“I’ve got to improve my act as well, I recognise that and I want to look at what criticisms there are that have been made about how I operate. Jeremy is exactly the same mental position.

“If Jeremy is re-elected – and I don’t count my chickens before they’re hatched – if he is what we’ll be saying to people is, ‘Right, what do you think has hit those poll ratings?’ because actually we were virtually level or in advance of the Tories before the coup occurred and let’s iron out what those problems are.”