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Keir Starmer’s unpopularity hits Labour’s grassroots as party’s vote share in local by-elections plummets_Nhy

Labour‘s grassroots are paying a heavy price for Sir Keir Starmer’s national unpopularity, local by-election results reveal.

The party’s vote share has plummeted by more than eight per cent, with a reported net loss of more than 25 council seats since the General Election in July.

In local by-elections, Labour is now polling at just 24.8 per cent, fractionally ahead of the Tories on 23.7 per cent, says the respected Election Maps UK website.

The Tories have made net gains of about 20 seats. The Lib Dems are up almost four points to 18.4 per cent, though have made a net gain of only one council ward.

Reform UK, which has gained a net seven seats since July, says it will focus on next May’s local elections to boost the party’s national campaigning strength.

It comes amid polling which showed that Sir Keir is now more unpopular than Nigel Farage with just a quarter of voters thinking favourably of the Prime Minister, polling has shown.

A YouGov survey for The Times found only 25 per cent of voters had a favourable opinion of the Prime Minister, compared with 28 per cent for Mr Farage.

Polling guru Professor Sir John Curtice, of Strathclyde University, said Labour was paying the price for not being honest with voters during the election campaign.

Sir Keir Starmer's unpopularity has left Labour polling at just 24.8 per cent in local by-elections

Sir Keir Starmer’s unpopularity has left Labour polling at just 24.8 per cent in local by-elections

Reform UK projected their membership numbers onto Conservative Campaign Headquarters this week

Reform UK projected their membership numbers onto Conservative Campaign Headquarters this week

Sir Keir and Chancellor Rachel Reeves are continuing to face a backlash for hiking employers national insurance contributions (NICs).

This was despite their election pledge not to raise taxes, including national insurance, on ‘working people’ in Labour’s manifesto.

Last night a Labour MP said: ‘When you lose a respected local councillor, you potentially lose a hard worker for Labour, and this matters for any party’s ground war at General Election time.’

Lib Dem party president Mark Pack said: ‘Labour’s foot soldiers are suffering from the Government’s national unpopularity.’

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School chiefs turn on Rachel Reeves after ‘shameful’ claim that VAT raid will give all children the ‘best start’

The Chancellor’s claim that taxing private school fees will give all children the ‘best start’ has been branded ‘shameful’.

Rachel Reeves has insisted that £1.7 billion would be raised by the 20 per cent VAT imposed on private schools from New Year’s Day, in a press release celebrating Labour’s ‘plan for change’.

As the surge in fees has seen thousands of families have to pull their children out of the independent sector and schools face going to the wall, her comment that her system will give ‘every child the best start in life’ has been criticised as ‘tone deaf’.

The Independent Schools Council (ISC) said the ‘unprecedented tax’ on education would be felt by families and children across state and independent schools, and insisted that the Government’s sums were wrong.

‘The money the Government claims it will raise is an estimate not a fact,’ ISC chief executive Dr Julie Robinson told The Mail on Sunday.

The ISC said it was concerned about the risk to low-fee faith schools and specialist arts schools, as well as the availability of special education needs (SEN) provision for children who needed additional support.

Professor Alan Smithers, of Buckingham University, said: ‘Small local schools, especially those catering for SEN pupils, face going to the wall, leaving the parents struggling to find a place or having to home educate.

‘The top schools will be put beyond the reach of many more parents.’

Rachel Reeves (pictured) claim that taxing private school fees will give all children the ¿best start¿ has been branded ¿shameful¿

Rachel Reeves (pictured) claim that taxing private school fees will give all children the ‘best start’ has been branded ‘shameful’

The Independent Schools Council (ISC) said the ‘unprecedented tax’ on education would be felt by families and children across state and independent schools, and insisted that the Government’s sums were wrong. Pictured: Pupils at Eton

The Independent Schools Council (ISC) said the ‘unprecedented tax’ on education would be felt by families and children across state and independent schools, and insisted that the Government’s sums were wrong. Pictured: Pupils at Eton

Chris Ramsey, a former Headmasters and Headmistresses’ Conference committee chairman, said: ‘Every pupil educated in an independent school is a child that the state does not have the burden of educating. That this is seen as something deserving of punitive measures is shameful.’

Chris McGovern, chairman of the Campaign For Real Education, described Ms Reeves’s press release as ‘tone deaf’.

He said: ‘The Government’s expectations are deceitful, duplicitous and delusional.’

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said: ‘High and rising standards cannot just be for families who can afford them, and we must build an education system where every child can achieve and thrive.’

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