43% of the British public think new leader Keir Starmer will change the Labour Party for the better, according to a new poll by Ipsos MORI.

Asked about his likely impact on the party, 31% of those surveyed said they expected him to “make no difference” while just 6% predicted he would make Labour “worse”.

Starmer, who was elected leader in early April with 56% of first preference votes, kicks off his time in charge of Labour with an overall favourability rating of +5%.

26% found him favourable in the new poll, 21% unfavourable, and a significant 39% chose the ‘neither’ option, with another 14% saying they didn’t know.

The Labour Party as a whole is currently found to be favourable by 30% – up four points over the last month – and unfavourable by 40%.

With a net rating of -10, it does not compare well with the Conservative Party, which under Boris Johnson’s leadership has a +2 net favourability rating.

The favourability ratings of the Prime Minister have improved significantly since coronavirus hit the UK – they are higher than those of his party, which was not the case before the general election.

Ipsos MORI’s Kelly Beaver commented: “There is a glimmer of hope for Keir Starmer as he takes over as Labour leader, with more people thinking he will make the Labour party better than worse.

“Only time will tell if that translates into popular support for the party rising.”

Ipsos MORI conducted the online survey of 1,069 British adults aged 18+ between April 10th and 13th.