Keir Starmer gets out of 'defensive crouch' but pollster's verdict won't cheer him much

Keir Starmer gets out of 'defensive crouch' but pollster's verdict won't cheer him muchKeir Starmer has kicked off Labour's local election campaign buoyed by his 'Love Actually' moments - but the predictions make difficult reading for the Prime MinisterCommentsNewsopinionAlexander Brown Assistant Political Editor and Dave Burke Political Correspondent 08:00, 04 Apr 2026View 3 ImagesKeir Starmer faces a difficult nationwide election test next month(Image: Xinhua/Shutterstock)Keir Starmer faces his biggest electoral test since winning the keys to No10 when voters head to the ballot box in May's local elections - and the polls do not make for great reading.‌But the Prime Minister is enjoying some green shoots of hope as a result of his ‘Love Actually’ moments with Donald Trump. The PM has borne the brunt of the unpredictable US President’s wrath in recent weeks after refusing to get involved in the spiralling war in Iran.‌And by and large the public like what they’ve seen - something the PM will hope to build on in coming weeks. While Nigel Farage and Kemi Badenoch floundered, Mr Starmer has been able to get on the front foot, assuring voters he would not fall in line like Tony Blair infamously did in 2003.‌READ MORE: Female teachers face sickening misogyny as 'manosphere' creates 'ticking time bomb'READ MORE: 'Good riddance' verdict as Nigel Farage sacks housing chief over Grenfell insultView 3 ImagesWill Nigel Farage's fawning to Donald Trump backfire?(Image: AFP via Getty Images)That’s gone down well among MPs who a few weeks ago felt like they were staring into an abyss. One remarked that for the first time in a while, it felt like No10 was not in a “defensive crouch”. There are also hopes - early at this stage, mind - that Mr Farage’s party is on the slide after topping the polls for months.The right-wing party's fiasco after housing spokesman Simon Dudley made crass remarks about the...