Keir Starmer’s popularity surges to six-month peak amid Ukraine diplomacy

Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s diplomatic engagements over Ukraine in the past week have earned him his highest poll ratings in six months, according to YouGov.

His handling of international relations, particularly in contrast to Donald Trump’s recent actions, seems to have resulted in the ratings bump.

Meanwhile, Trump’s behaviour appears to have negatively impacted his closest UK ally, Nigel Farage, whose favourability score declined from 30% to 26%.

The prime minister’s visit to Washington DC saw him win plaudits for his approach to Trump before returning to Downing Street to welcome Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

The meeting followed tense scenes between Zelenskyy, Trump, and JD Vance at the White House.

Starmer then hosted a summit with European leaders and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at Lancaster House, further solidifying his leadership as uncertainty grows over Trump’s stance on Ukraine.

Polls show growing support for Starmer

According to YouGov, Starmer’s favourability rating has risen to 31%, up from 26% in mid-February.

At the same time, Trump’s unfavourability rating has surged to 80%, up from 73% two weeks ago.

Even among Reform UK voters, Trump’s popularity has suffered, with more now holding a negative view than a positive one.

The proportion of Reform UK supporters with an unfavourable opinion of Trump has climbed 25 points to 53%, while his favourable rating has fallen from 66% to 45%.

Public sentiment toward Zelenskyy has also improved, with his favourability rating rising from 64% to 71%.

The shift is particularly notable among Reform UK voters, among whom Zelenskyy is now more popular than Trump.

Support for Zelenskyy among this group has climbed from 49% to 62%, while the proportion with an unfavourable view has dropped from 37% to 27%.

YouGov noted that Starmer’s ratings have improved across supporters of all four major parties, reflecting a broader shift in public perception amid the ongoing Ukraine crisis.

Earlier in the week, polling by More in Common also indicated that more Britons now view Starmer as the best choice for prime minister when compared to Kemi Badenoch and Nigel Farage.

The percentage of voters who believe he is doing a good job has increased from 22% to 28%, while Farage’s numbers have dropped from 26% to 22%.

Badenoch’s approval has risen slightly from 11% to 12%. However, 52% of the public still believe Starmer is doing a poor job despite his recent gains.

More in Common also found that 56% of the public believe Starmer’s handling of the Ukraine talks reflects well on the government, compared to just 9% who think it reflects poorly.

During Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday, Starmer issued a strong rebuke to JD Vance, referencing British soldiers who lost their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan.