Labour’s approval ratings slump to new low with more than a third of voters who backed them in July unhappy about first six months in power_Nhy
A poll has shown Labour‘s ratings slumping to a new low in another blow for Keir Starmer.
Just 16 per cent of Brits approve of the party’s first six months in power, with 63 per cent negative. The net score of minus 47 in the YouGov research was down two from the end of last month.
More than a third of those who supported Labour in July – 36 per cent – disapprove of the government’s performance.
The bleak figures emerged as the PM struggles to steady the ship after a tricky start to 2025.
Sir Keir has been embroiled in brutal clashes with Elon Musk over grooming gangs, and faced accusations that he has ‘smeared’ those calling for a national inquiry as helping the ‘far-Right’.
Just 16 per cent of Brits approve of the party’s first six months in power, with 63 per cent negative
The bleak figures emerged as the PM (pictured) struggles to steady the ship after a tricky start to 2025
Rows over the Budget tax raid and slashing winter fuel allowance for millions of pensioners are also still raging.
With just two weeks before Donald Trump returns to the White House, there is mounting concern about the stuttering economy.
Long-term government borrowing costs hit their highest level since 1998 today.
The interest rate on 30-year gilts reached 5.22 per cent, topping the spike seen in 2023.
The increase puts more pressure on the Chancellor’s spending plans, which were already seen as tight despite her huge Budget tax raid.
Ms Reeves announced at the Autumn fiscal package that she was ramping up borrowing for more public spending and changing debt rules to boost investment.
However, UK plc has since showed signs of stalling with businesses warning of price rises and job cuts due to the extra burden.
Some economists believe she will be forced to come back for more taxes to avoid austerity in the state sector.
More than a third of those who supported Labour in July – 36 per cent – disapprove of the government’s performance
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More hospitality businesses will be forced to close after Labour’s tax bomb budget than during Covid, nightlife tsar warns
Nightlife tsar Sacha Lord has warned that the ‘writing is already on the wall’ for many hospitality businesses as pubs and bars desperately fight to survive through Labour’s tax bomb budget.
Just seven days into 2025, Manchester’s Night Time Economy adviser voiced major concerns after seeing a ‘raft of closures’ already this year.
Mr Lord fears that more businesses will shut down at the start of this year than they did during Covid.
The hospitality sector saw the biggest economic declines of all sectors during the pandemic.
In another hammer blow to recovering businesses, the rate employers pay in National Insurance will rise from 13.8 per cent to 15 per cent in April and the threshold at which they start paying the tax on salaries will be reduced from £9,100 to £5,000.
The minimum wage, known officially as the National Living Wage, will also rise in April, with hourly rates for over-21s to go up by 6.7 per cent from £11.44 to £12.21 an hour.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves has said she had to introduce the tax hike in a raft of changes to generate £25billion for public services.
Fearing the worst, Mr Lord wrote on X this morning: ‘It’s only 7th Jan and I’m already seeing a raft of Hospitality closures this morning. I’m sadly predicting we will see more at the start of this year, than we did during Covid.
Nightlife tsar Sacha Lord (pictured) fears that more businesses will shut down at the start of this year than they did during Covid
Just seven days into 2025, Manchester’s Night Time Economy adviser voiced major concerns after seeing a ‘raft of closures’ already this year
‘The unexpected extra tax burden of an increase in NI and Business Rates increase, will be the straw that broke the camels back.
‘Many Govt meeting are taking place this month, but sadly the writings already on the wall for many.’
Simon Delaney, who has owned The Firbank Pub and Kitchen, in Wythenshawe, Manchester, for 30 years, echoed Mr Lord’s fears.
He told MailOnline today: ‘I saw the tweet earlier. It’s predicted from everybody in our industry.
‘It’s already a worrying sign, January, February, March, the first quarter of the year.
‘But it’s an even bigger worrier what’s coming with the extra outlays we’ve got with the minimum wage going up, all the extra costs, the business relief dropping off.
‘It just makes it even more difficult to make it work. It’s becoming less doable, it’s already difficult for some successful businesses who are doing everything right but it’s not profitable at the end.’
Mr Lord’s post was also met with a number of comments, including from The Scottish Hospitality Group who wrote: ‘It is a trend which unfortunately we will see more of across the year.
Simon Delaney (pictured), who has owned The Firbank Pub and Kitchen, in Wythenshawe, Manchester, for 30 years, echoed Mr Lord’s fears
It comes after Chancellor Rachel Reeves (pictured) delivered her first budget in October following Labour’s election victory
‘Many decided to take Christmas & NY and then call time. The UK budget have been a nail in the coffin that the sector didn’t need during its slow recovery.’
The nightlife tsar replied: ‘Totally agree.’
Another user wrote: ‘3 months time will be a bloodbath.’
Mr Lord replied: ‘You’re right Steve…especially when the Vat bills due.’
It comes after Ms Reeves delivered her first budget in October following Labour’s election victory.
The chancellor laid out how she would raise £40billion a year in extra taxes to address the ‘black hole’ in the public finances left by the Tories.
In the lead up to the budget, there has been calls for an extension to business rates support, with UKHospitality warning the industry faced an additional rates bill of £914million if the relief ended, as planned, on March 31 2025.
The Chancellor confirmed the support would be extended but at a lower rate. The business rate discount is being lowered from 75 per cent to 50 per cent, sparking anger from industry bosses.
Kate Nicholls, Chief Executive of UKHospitality, said at the time: ‘This Budget is the latest blow for hospitality businesses. Rising taxes, increasing costs and fragile consumer confidence risk bringing growth to a grinding halt.
‘In the short-term, the tsunami of employment costs coming in April will ultimately do more to hamper growth than incentivise it. Increases to employer NICs and wages will make it harder for businesses to support employment and invest in their businesses.
‘Avoiding the business rates cliff-edge next April was critical and it was important that some relief has been extended. However, the reduced level of 40 per cent is another cost that businesses have to deal with. For those small- and medium-sized operators, their rates bills will still go up in April.
‘All of this means that 2025 will be a painful for hospitality, with a increased annual tax bill of £3bn for the sector.’
