UK Leadership Approval Ratings
Tracking net favourability for UK political leaders from all major pollsters
Last updated 9 July 2026
All values use a 7-point moving average where available.
Party leaders ranked by their latest net favourability.
Where each leader's latest rating sits between their best and worst single poll since tracking began in July 2024.
Every leadership-approval poll we track, newest first - favourable % / unfavourable % / net for each leader.
Average net favourability each pollster has given every leader (number of polls in brackets). The top row is the all-pollster average - compare each row to spot house effects.
This page tracks the net approval ratings of major political party leaders in the UK. The process involves:
- Net Approval Calculation: Percentage of people who view a leader favorably minus the percentage who view them unfavorably
- Data Sources: Compiled from various polling companies including YouGov, Ipsos, and others
- Data Processing: When multiple polls are released on the same day, they are shown as separate data points
- Smoothing: 7-point trailing moving average applied to highlight trends and reduce noise from individual polls
Note: The vertical line marks the Conservative leadership change from Rishi Sunak to Kemi Badenoch on 2 November 2024. Data for Kemi Badenoch only includes polls conducted after this date.
What are leadership favourability ratings?
Leadership favourability ratings measure how the public feels about a party leader. Pollsters ask whether voters have a favourable or unfavourable opinion of each leader, and the net favourability score is the share with a favourable view minus the share with an unfavourable view. A positive figure means more people view the leader favourably than unfavourably; a negative figure means the reverse.
Which party leaders does PollCheck track?
This page tracks the leaders of the main UK parties: Keir Starmer (Labour), Kemi Badenoch (Conservative), Nigel Farage (Reform UK), Ed Davey (Liberal Democrats) and Zack Polanski (Green). It also tracks Andy Burnham (Labour MP). Data for Kemi Badenoch begins after she became Conservative leader on 2 November 2024.
How is the favourability trend calculated?
The trend line for each leader is a seven-point trailing moving average. Each plotted value averages a poll with the six polls before it, which smooths out noise from individual surveys and highlights the underlying direction of travel. Where fewer than seven polls are available, the raw values are shown.
Which pollsters measure leader favourability?
Figures are compiled from the polling companies that publish leader favourability, including YouGov and Ipsos among others. When more than one poll is released on the same day, each is shown as a separate data point rather than being merged.
How often are favourability ratings updated?
The page is updated weekly as new polls are published. The most recent update date is shown near the top of the page.
What is the difference between net approval and favourability?
On this page the two terms are used interchangeably. Net approval (or net favourability) is the favourable percentage minus the unfavourable percentage. Some pollsters phrase the question in terms of approval of a leader's performance and others in terms of a favourable or unfavourable opinion, but both produce a net score on the same scale.