Labour unpopular due to policy failures

TL;DR

Labour's Policy Failures: Labour's unpopularity stems from multiple highly noticed and disliked policies, outnumbering popular ones according to More in Common data.
Minimum Wage Rise: The rise in the minimum wage to over £25,000 is the only unusually popular and salient policy.
Needs Signature Wins: The party must deliver more successes alongside tough decisions to regain support for re-election.[[1]](https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-politics/2026/02/why-is-labour-so-unpopular)

The story at a glance

George Eaton analyses why the Labour government is unpopular, using a More in Common graph on policy salience and popularity. He rejects simplistic claims that Labour is too left-wing or too right-wing, pointing instead to net negative policies like winter fuel cuts and prisoner releases. This comes amid recent domestic setbacks for Keir Starmer as he heads to the Munich Security Conference.[[1]](https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-politics/2026/02/why-is-labour-so-unpopular)

Key points

Multiple Labour policies rank high in both noticeability and dislike: winter fuel payment cuts, inheritance tax rise on farmland, early prisoner releases to avert prison collapse, and blocking Andy Burnham.
Chagos islands transfer and return of activist Alaa Abd El-Fattah are viewed negatively but lack high salience.
Minimum wage rise to over £25,000 (among world's most generous) is the standout popular and noticed policy.
Public opinion is turning against higher taxes and spending, a typical response to Labour governments.
Popular measures include workers’ rights and renters’ rights bills, rail fare and prescription charge freezes, lifting the two-child benefit cap (neutral), a "mansion tax" (positive), and Shabana Mahmood’s asylum and immigration reforms.
Winter fuel cuts and farmland tax will raise less than £1bn combined, or 0.1% of public spending.[[1]](https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-politics/2026/02/why-is-labour-so-unpopular)

Details and context

Labour's unpopular policies have high salience, meaning they are both noticed and disliked, per the More in Common graph – a key tool in British politics for measuring public reaction beyond simple approval.

The party faces a "thermostatic" public response where higher taxes and spending lose favour under Labour (and gain under Tories). Positive policies like cost-of-living freezes and rights bills help but do not offset the negatives enough.

Tough midterm decisions are normal, but Labour's pain from cuts has brought too little financial gain relative to the political cost. Avoiding further errors is necessary but insufficient without standout achievements.[[1]](https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-politics/2026/02/why-is-labour-so-unpopular)

Key quotes

"Labour is unpopular because it’s too left wing. You’re going to hear that argument a lot over the next few months – as well as the rejoinder that it’s too right wing. Neither view captures the complexities and nuances of public opinion." – George Eaton

"pain has been accompanied by too little gain: the winter fuel cuts and farmland tax will now raise less than £1bn between them (or 0.1 per cent of public spending)." – George Eaton[[1]](https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-politics/2026/02/why-is-labour-so-unpopular)

Why it matters

Labour's policy missteps risk eroding its midterm position, making re-election harder without clear wins. Voters and low-income groups feel the cuts acutely while gains like the minimum wage rise provide limited offset. Watch for new signature policies or further polls on salience, though public views can shift thermostatically.

FAQ

Q: What does the More in Common graph show about Labour policies?

A: It measures both popularity and salience (noticeability); many Labour policies like winter fuel cuts, farmland tax, and prisoner releases score high on dislike and notice, while positives like minimum wage are rare. Chagos and activist return are disliked but low salience. Workers’ rights and immigration reforms fare better.

Q: Why is the minimum wage rise a standout for Labour?

A: It is unusually both popular and highly noticed, unlike most policies, and sets the wage at over £25,000 – among the world's most generous. It counters some net negatives but is not enough alone.

Q: What unpopular policies does the article highlight?

A: Winter fuel payment cuts, inheritance tax rise on farmland, early prisoner releases to prevent system collapse, and blocking Andy Burnham all rank high in notice and dislike. They outweigh positives in public perception.

Q: How much revenue do the winter fuel cuts and farmland tax raise?

A: Less than £1bn combined, equivalent to 0.1% of public spending – too little gain for the political pain involved.

[[1]](https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-politics/2026/02/why-is-labour-so-unpopular)