Kemi Badenoch is the first party leader to get a positive approval rating since 2024

By MARTIN BECKFORD, POLICY EDITOR Published: 01:39, 16 July 2026 | Updated: 01:41, 16 July 2026 Kemi Badenoch has become the first party leader to enjoy positive approval ratings since the election, according to a leading pollster. More in Common found that the Tory leader's net approval rating stands at plus three, as more people now believe she is doing a good job than think she is performing badly. Overall 32 per cent of those questioned said she was doing a very good or somewhat good job, compared with 29 per cent who said otherwise. The rest either answered 'neither' or 'don't know'. It is the most popular Mrs Badenoch has been in the weekly online survey of more than 2,000 adults since she took over the Conservatives, rising from minus 32 only last October. And it is the first time since Sir Keir Starmer's brief honeymoon after Labour won the 2024 general election that any party leader has had a positive net approval rating. The outgoing PM is by far the least popular party leader with his rating standing at minus 42, although it is marginally higher than the depths of minus 51 he plumbed last November. Andy Burnham, who will become Labour leader on Friday and then Prime Minister on Monday, is also on plus three approval but his rating has fallen even before he enters No 10 from plus nine last month. Meanwhile Nigel Farage's popularity has dropped to minus 24, his lowest since the election, in fieldwork carried out last weekend amid the controversy over his finances. Kemi Badenoch has become the first party leader to enjoy positive approval ratings since the election, according to a leading pollster Luke Tryl, UK director of More in Common, said: 'Diverging fortunes in leader approvals. Badenoch has positive net approval for the first time on +3, the first party leader to do so since summer 2024 & tying with Burnham. But Farage drops to his lowest approval since the election -24.' Commentators believe that her strong performances in Prime Minister's Questions as well as forthright interviews and social media clips are behind Mrs Badenoch's increasing personal popularity. She taunted him about their changing fortunes in Sir Keir's final appearance as PM yesterday, saying: 'I remember when I started this job, the Prime Minister was very helpful to me, saying that I would not last the year. Life comes at you fast. 'He spent a long time laughing at how I had lost control of my party; I think he should have been paying attention to his backbenchers instead of mine. Everyone in politics would do well to remember how quickly political fortunes can change.' However the Tories continue to trail in the polls with More in Common putting her party on 22 per cent, the same as Labour and behind Reform on 26.