SIR KEIR STARMER’S public favourability rating has plummeted, it was revealed today, following his condemning of pensioners to freezing conditions this winter.

Polling by Ipsos found that only 32 per cent of respondents view the Prime Minister favourably — dropping six percentage points since August. 

Meanwhile, those who viewed Sir Keir unfavourably shot up by eight points to 46 per cent.

This is his joint highest score as Labour leader, with his unfavourability reaching the same high as it had been after Labour lost a seat to the Tories in the 2021 Hartlepool by-election.

It comes as the government faces criticism for removing access to winter fuel payments from 10 million pensioners, and ahead of the autumn Budget, which Sir Keir warned would be “painful.”

Chancellor Rachel Reeves, who will deliver the bad news, has seen her favourability fall by four points to 23 per cent, while her unfavourability has risen by nine points to 44 per cent.

Similarly, the Labour Party as a whole has seen unfavourability soar by eight points to 45 per cent.

The poll found 58 per cent of those aged over 55 were against the government’s shock decision to abolish universal winter fuel payments and make them means tested.

Some 1,147 adults over 18 were interviewed for the poll between September 6 and 9.

Ipsos director of politics Keiran Pedley said: “There are some early warning signs in these numbers for Keir Starmer and Labour.

“Moving forward, Labour will want to strike the right balance between setting public expectations about the pace of change while maintaining confidence that the change Labour supporters voted for in July is coming.”