The majority of the public think Jeremy Corbyn is doing a bad job dealing with the aftermath of the Salisbury spy poisoning, while there is widespread support for Theresa May's approach to UK-Russia relations, a Sky Data poll reveals.

Almost six in ten Britons - 57% - think Mr Corbyn is doing a bad job with regard to Britain's relations with Russia, with just 18% saying he's doing a good job.

This comes as the Labour leader has come under fire from his own MPs for his reaction to the attempted murder of former spy Sergei Skripal, who was attacked with a nerve agent developed in the Soviet Union.

The Prime Minister has said that there is no doubt Russia is "culpable" for the poisoning and has ordered the expulsion of 23 Russian diplomats.

But Mr Corbyn has emphasised the need to seek evidence, and appears reluctant to explicitly condemn Russia for the attack.


More than two thirds of the public - 69% - think the Prime Minister is doing a good job dealing with the incident, while 29% think she is doing a bad job.

Image: Sky Data poll

When asked to choose which of the two leaders they would prefer to be in charge of the UK's relationship with Russia, Mrs May is preferred over Mr Corbyn by 69% to 31%.

There is a stark divide by age on the question, however.

Young voters aged 18-34 - a group in which support for Mr Corbyn and his Labour Party is particularly strong - are evenly split, with 49% choosing Mrs May and 51% preferring Jeremy Corbyn.

In contrast, the Prime Minister is preferred by 69% to 31% among those aged 35-54, and 81% to 19% by people aged 55 and over.

:: Sky Data interviewed a nationally representative sample of 1,166 Sky customers via SMS 15 March 2018. Data are weighted to the profile of the population.

For full Sky Data tables, please click here.