By GREG HEFFER, POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT Published: 15:20 BST, 22 September 2025 | Updated: 16:19 BST, 22 September 2025
Sir Keir Starmer and Emmanuel Macron are joined in common cause as political 'centrists' who are both battling 'populists' on the Right.But the Prime Minister and French President also now share a less wanted endeavour as they attempt to fight back from historic low approval ratings.A new Ifop poll showed how Mr Macron's approval ratings have slumped to a record low of 17 per cent following fresh political chaos in Paris.It is Mr Macron's lowest approval rating of his two-term presidency, which began in May 2017, and comes as he continues to battle the National Rally party of Jordan Bardella and Marine Le Pen.The Ifop survey - conducted between 18-19 September among 1,000 French adults - showed Mr Macron's popularity has even fallen by 14 points among those voters who re-elected him in 2022.'A majority of French people are resistant, lost and will not return,' said Frédéric Dabi, general director of Ifop.It came as an Opinium poll published this weekend showed Sir Keir's own net approval ratings had suffered a further slump to -42 per cent, as the PM faces his own fight against Nigel Farage's Reform UK.This is the same as his predecessor Rishi Sunak's lowest score, which came after the then-PM skipped part of the D-day anniversary events last year. A new Ifop poll showed how Emmanuel Macron's approval ratings have slumped to a record low of 17 per cent following fresh political chaos in Paris It came as an Opinium poll published this weekend showed Sir Keir Starmer's own net approval ratings had suffered a further slump to -42 per centSir Keir's net approval rating is also near the -44 per cent net approval rating of Boris Johnson after his Tory government collapsed in 2022.Those who voted Labour at last year's general election only just gave Sir Keir a net positive rating, with 39 per cent disapproving of the job the PM is doing while 41 per cent approve.The Opinium poll also showed that just over half of UK adults (54 per cent) now think Sir Keir should resign, including one-third (34 per cent) of those who voted Labour last year.James Crouch, head of policy and public affairs at Opinium, said: 'Unpopular for all but two months of his premiership, the PM's approval ratings are scraping historic lows, and looking passable only thanks to Liz Truss.'Few expect Keir Starmer to go anywhere anytime soon, but it's a humbling place for a leader when most of the country wants them to resign.' A YouGov survey published last week showed Sir Keir falling to his lowest net favourability rating so far.Just 21 per cent of Britons said they have a favourable opinion of the PM - down three points on last month and the lowest such figure recorded by YouGov since Sir Keir became Labour leader in April 2020.The YouGov poll also showed seven in ten Britons (71 per cent) now hold an unfavourable opinion of Sir Keir - up three points from August and the highest to date. This left the PM with a net favourability rating of -50, Sir Keir's lowest score so far. The Ifop survey showed Mr Macron's lowest approval rating of his two-term presidency, which began in May 2017 A YouGov survey published last week showed Sir Keir falling to his lowest net favourability rating so far
