The reader poll has revealed an overwhelming lack of support for Sir Keir Starmer remaining as Prime Minister, as pressure mounts nationally on his leadership.
According to the results, 47.8 % of respondents said Starmer should stand down, while 41.3 % said he should call a general election, and just 10.9 % said he should remain as Prime Minister.
That means almost 9 in 10 people who took part backed either resignation or a new election, rather than supporting him staying in Downing Street.
The poll is small, so it cannot be treated as representative of Swindon as a whole. However, it lands on the same day Starmer delivered what national media described as a “make-or-break” speech aimed at saving his premiership amid growing unrest within Labour.
In the speech, Starmer admitted Labour’s recent election results “hurt” and said he took responsibility for them, while insisting he would not walk away from the role. He warned the country could go “down a very dark path” if Labour failed to recover politically and argued that “incremental change won’t cut it”.
So the Prime Minister attempted to reset his government with a series of announcements, including stronger ties with Europe, plans to nationalise British Steel, and promises around jobs and training for young people. He also vowed to “prove doubters wrong” as speculation intensifies over potential leadership challengers inside Labour.
But despite the speech, reports today suggest dozens of Labour MPs are continuing to question his future, with some allegedly pushing for a leadership timetable after Labour’s heavy local election losses across England, Scotland and Wales.
At the time of writing, there has not been a confirmed position from either Swindon Labour MP.
For any Prime Minister, that is politically dangerous territory. Once the public conversation shifts from criticism of government decisions to whether the leader themselves can survive, authority can begin to drain very quickly.
