The Rwanda bill is a key test of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's authority
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has urged the Lords to pass the Rwanda bill. Photo: POOL via AFP / Leon Neal AFP News

A recent survey conducted by the polling company JL Partners exposed Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's fading rapport amongst voters.

The polling was dubbed a "humiliating new setback" for the prime minister, who voters described as a "weak, useless, rich idiot".

Since being prime minister almost 18 months ago, the poll results exposed "the serious slide in Rishi Sunak's ratings," said former Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

Announcing the damning results of the poll at Carlton House Terrace in London, Johnson told MPs that Labour Leader Keir Starmer "is winning the battle of the word clouds" and that the Labour Party was in "a much better place" ahead of the next general election.

The survey results also confirmed that the Conservatives are falling behind Labour by 20 per cent.

The survey, conducted earlier this month, interviewed 2,105 people across England and Wales.

Rishi Sunak
JL Partners poll shows that voters see Sunak as "weak and useless"

Describing Sunak, the results highlighted the top ten words most commonly used amongst voters, including "weak, useless, rich, untrustworthy, incompetent, bad, idiot, rubbish, liar, smarmy."

While Starmer was also dubbed "weak, bland and boring", crucially, voters thought the left-wing leader was "honest and competent."

Asked to choose their "ideal" Conservative Party leader, although he was forced to resign due to the COVID-19 Partygate scandals, the respondents favoured Johnson over Sunak.

The voters also put Margaret Thatcher, who passed 11 years ago, and former UKIP Leader Nigel Farage ahead of Sunak.

Without considering long-gone predecessors like Tony Blair, voters named Starmer their "ideal" leader for the Labour Party.

The respondents who voted for Tory in the 2019 election went on to insult the current prime minister even more as they struggled to find one good thing to say about him.

Keir Starmer
Voters say Keir Starmer is "weak, bland and boring"

The survey results highlighted Starmer's popularity amongst those who voted for the Labour Party in 2019. Choosing words to describe the left-wing leader, voters said that Starmer was "reliable, fair and intelligent".

However, some 2019 supporters also said that Starmer was "dull".

"People are not champing at the bit for Labour; there is a lot of reluctance about them," Johnson argued.

"When it comes to what voters actually want from a prime minister, the number one thing is honesty," he said, noting: "It means not lying - which may be the result of recent political events. It means, 'I don't care if it is tough news; tell me like it is'."

According to JL Partners co-founder James Johnson, party leaders usually rely on their supporters to be more sympathetic towards them, not Mr Sunak.

Johnson said of Tory supporters: "They used to think he was rich but quite competent; they now think he is rich but also weak."

"That is a devastating place to be if you are a politician."