Keir Starmer performed best overall in Sky News leaders’ event, poll suggests | Politics News

Sir Keir Starmer performed best overall in the Sky News leaders’ event, a snap YouGov poll suggests.

Almost two thirds – 64% – of those questioned said the Labour leader came out on top, compared to 36% who thought Prime Minister Rishi Sunak did better.

The question was: leaving aside your own party preference, who do you think performed best overall in tonight’s televised leaders’ event?

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When the voters were asked who came across as more trustworthy, 58% said Mr Starmer, while 28% stated Mr Sunak.

Also, 56% said Mr Starmer was more likeable, compared to 29% for his rival.

According to 71%, the Labour leader came across as more in touch with ordinary people, while 13% opted for the prime minister.

And when the voters were asked who came across as more prime ministerial, 50% said it was Mr Starmer, with 35% saying Mr Sunak.

Those sampled were also asked who they thought performed best during the section on the NHS.

According to the poll, 70% chose Mr Starmer, compared to 20% for Mr Sunak.

During the event, Mr Sunak was questioned by Sky’s political editor Beth Rigby about the progress he has made on the five key priorities he set out at the start of last year.

He commented that junior doctors’ strikes have had an impact on NHS waiting lists – and was loudly booed by a member of the audience as a result.

Earlier, Sir Keir was left briefly speechless when an audience member accused him of being a “political robot”.

The man said he admired “how in touch with the public” the Labour leader appeared when he was director of public prosecutions.

He added: “But over the last year I feel like you have formed into more of a politician than the person I would have voted for to run the country. You seem more like a political robot. How are you going to convince others like me to vote for you?”

Sir Keir answered by speaking about his work in the Crown Prosecution Service, and added that he did not apologise for changing the Labour Party.

Some 1,864 respondents took part in the poll.

See the full table of results here.