Exclusive: Liz Truss Remains Really Unpopular Ahead Of 'Popular Conservatism' Launch, Poll Reveals

"Popular Conservatism couldn’t find a more unpopular spokesperson if they actively tried."
Max Mumby/Indigo via Getty Images

Liz Truss will launch her new “Popular Conservatism” platform on Tuesday - despite new polling which confirms she remains really unpopular.

The former prime minister will be joined at the event in London by other right-wing Tories including former deputy party chairman Lee Anderson and ex-cabinet minister Jacob Rees-Mogg.

Nigel Farage, who has been toying with a frontline political comeback and recently expressed admiration for “radical” Truss, is also set to attend, according to The Sunday Times.

The “PopCon” movement claims to want to “restore democratic accountability to Britain and deliver popular conservative policies”.

But polling by Savanta seen by HuffPost UK shows Truss - who was forced to quit as PM after just 49 days in office - is the least popular politician the firm asks voters about.

It showed that 65% of voters have an unfavourable view of her, compared to just 11% who have a favourable view.

That gives her a net favourability rating of -54, compared to Rishi Sunak on -27 and Labour leader Keir Starmer on -8.

Boris Johnson hit a low of -38 the month he resigned as prime minister, but that has rebounded to -25 now.

Chris Hopkins, political research director at Savanta, said: “Our research shows that many ideas associated with free market conservatism are popular with the UK public.

“One of their main advocates right now – Liz Truss – is not.

“It is ironic that Popular Conservatism couldn’t find a more unpopular spokesperson if they actively tried.”

Truss has refused to retreat from the spotlight despite the fallout from her short-lived premiership.

She has been pushing Rishi Sunak to cut taxes, drop “unconservative” plans to ban smoking and to adopt a more hardline approach to China.

The fresh intervention by the former PM comes amid ongoing infighting within the Conservatives over the direction of the government as the general election looms.

A separate poll last week suggested the Tories could end up with fewer than 100 seats with Labour sweeping to victory.

Savanta interviewed 2,017 UK adults between January 19 and January 21.

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