General Election: Almost half of voters think leadership worse than in previous elections
Written by News on 23/11/2019
Almost half of voters think today’s party leaders are worse than any of their predecessors, a YouGov poll commissioned by Sky News suggests.
Just 5% of people said the current crop of contenders offer a better standard of leadership than in previous elections, with 45% saying they are worse.
YouGov spoke to 2,714 people with 30% saying the leaders in this election are about the same standard as previous heads of the main parties.
It was conducted on November 12, days before audiences laughed at both Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn in Tuesday’s ITV debate.
Last night, there were questions raised in a BBC Question Time special about the ability and integrity of all three main party leaders.
Boris Johnson was probed on whether he could be trusted to tell the truth.
He was also asked to apologise for newspaper articles where he compared Muslim women to letter boxes and bank robbers.
Jeremy Corbyn was attacked over his handling of anti-Semitism within Labour with one audience member saying he “didn’t buy this whole nice old grandpa” image.
There were also questions raised about his political allegiances and preferences, specifically his past admiration for Bolivia’s former President Evo Morales.
Jo Swinson came under fire for her unrealistic claim that she could become Prime Minister following this election and for her voting record while in the coalition government with the Conservatives.
The Liberal Democrat’s flagship policy to cancel Brexit without a referendum also appears to have landed badly with some traditional backers, with one remain supporter saying he would rather leave the EU than see the 2016 result overturned without another vote.
Labour and the Lib Dems will be hoping their radical and expensive manifestos launched this week will help overcome voter nervousness about their leaders.
The Conservatives’ manifesto launch on Sunday will be a key moment and potential turning point in an election campaign that has so far seen few breakthroughs or break downs.
The Brexit Election on Sky News – the fastest results and in-depth analysis on mobile, TV and radio.
- Watch Dermot Murnaghan live from 9pm on 12 December
- See the exit poll at 10pm
- Watch KayBurley@Breakfast election special on 13 December
- Find out what happens next in All Out Politics special from 9am with Adam Boulton
(c) Sky News 2019: General Election: Almost half of voters think leadership worse than in previous elections
