Three in five Britons want a general election
Liz Truss resigned earlier today, after 44 days in post. A new Conservative leader will be installed after a truncated leadership election, set to last seven days.
A snap YouGov poll, conducted following the prime minister’s resignation speech, finds that 79% think that Liz Truss was right to resign, including 81% of Conservative voters. Just 7% think she was wrong to resign, including 11% of Tories.
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The prime minister’s short legacy is viewed resoundingly negatively. Almost two thirds of Britons (64%) say she has been a “terrible” prime minister, with a further 18% describing her performance as “poor”.
Most Conservative voters likewise give her the worst possible rating of terrible (57%), and another 24% brand her poor. Just 2% of Britons and Conservative voters consider her to be “good” or “great”.
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Many opposition politicians, including Keir Starmer and Nicola Sturgeon, are calling for an early general election, with the Labour leader claiming that the new prime minister would not have a mandate.
More than three in five Britons (63%) likewise want the next prime minister to call an early general election. Only 23% want to see them get to work without committing to an electoral contest.
Conservative voters disagree, however. Half (52%) say Truss’s successor should not call a general election, although more than a third (38%) say that the new PM should subject themselves and their party to a public vote.
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