Labour Level With Conservatives In Best PM Poll For 1st Time In 13 Yrs-Ipsos

For the first time in 13 years in an Ipsos MORI poll, the leader of the main opposition Labour Party is level-pegging with the Conservative party leader when respondents are asked the questions 'who would make the best prime minister?' The last time Labour were level with or ahead of the Conservatives in this measure in an Ipsos poll was 2008, when then-PM Gordon Brown held a lead over Conservative leader David Cameron.

• Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer drawing level with Conservative Prime Minister Boris Johnson (both on 38% support) comes amidst a difficult time for the UK gov't, with petrol stations running dry and supermarket shelves empty due to a shortage of HGV drivers and a surge in wholesale gas prices sending energy bills soaring and bankrupting several energy providers.
• Starmer set to deliver his party conference speech on Wednesday. Seen as an important chance for him to establish authority within party, with many grassroots members still supportive of the left-wing stances of former leader Jeremy Corbyn and opposed to Starmer's more centrist stance.
• Conservative conference kicks off on Saturday 3 October in Manchester. Johnson's speech on 6 October will also prove important in seeking to re-orient gov't towards proactive rather than reactive policy-making in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.