Sir Keir Starmer's position as Prime Minister is looking increasingly precarious amid dismal polling and mounting scandals.
In an exclusive interview with GB News, Britain's favourite elections guru said the speed and severity of Labour's decline is "remarkable" even by historical standards, noting that its thumping defeat in the 1979 General Election is the nearest comparison.
His damning assessment comes as Starmer faces a fresh headache over his behaviour during the height of the Covid pandemic.
The accusation is made in a new book, Get In, serialised in The Sunday Times, which charts Labour’s return to power after 14 years in opposition.
Keir Starmer's position as Prime Minister is looking increasingly precarious
Getty Images
The book claims he met with communications coach Leonie Mellinger at Labour headquarters during strict Tier 4 restrictions in December 2020.
At the time, London was under stringent Tier 4 'Stay at Home' restrictions following a surge in Covid infections linked to a new variant. The coach reportedly qualified for 'key worker' status during the pandemic.
However, questions have been raised about whether this meeting complied with Covid regulations, as Government guidelines at the time required non-essential workers to work from home.
The Guido Fawkes website has suggested this may have constituted a breach of the Covid rules, as the Government's list of essential workers would not have included a political vocal coach.
The Conservatives have demanded answers from the Prime Minister, with shadow paymaster general Richard Holden calling for an independent investigation.
Former Labour MP Stephen Pound has insisted Starmer will resign if he's found guilty of breaking Covid rules, telling GB News: "Look, Keir Starmer said without any equivocation that if the police found him guilty and he received an official caution he would resign."
The latest scandal follows a chaotic first six months for the PM.
From cutting the winter fuel allowance for millions of pensioners to sparking a revolt from farmers over the inheritance tax changes. Then there was"wardrobe-gate" and his handling of the Southport killings.
Speaking to GB News, Britain's top polling analyst John Curtice says the mood music against the Government is bad even by historical standards.
"The closestto a government's supportfalling as rapidly is probably 1979," he says, referring to Labour's decisive defeat in the General Election of that year, which was driven by economic turmoil, industrial unrest (the infamous Winter of Discontent) and a shift in public mood against the party.
- 'The Home Office made me an offer many hoteliers could not refuse - but I know the truth about migrant hotels'
- MAPPED: The 114 seats flipping to Reform as poll gives Farage THREE-point lead - is yours one?
- Starmer did NOT win over leave voters! Labour facing Brexit bloodbath as shallow victory EXPOSED
the mood music against the Government is bad even by historical standards, according to John Curtice
KEIR STARMERThe election, held on 3 May 1979, resulted in Margaret Thatcher’s Conservative Party winning a decisive victory, ending Labour’s five-year rule under James Callaghan.
"I still think that this Government has lost support more quickly and heavily than any previous government. And that is particularly surprising, given it's a government with the lowest share of the vote for a majority government in the first place," Curtice continued, adding: "It didn't have much of a vote in the first place, and it has fallen awayremarkably quickly."
Will Starmer resign? It's an open question but history would suggest he's more likely than not to tough it out.
Only two Labour Two Labour Prime Ministers resigned before a general election (Harold Wilson in 1976 and Tony Blair in 2007) and the same number have been ousted by internal members.
By comparison, the Conservatives are much more ruthless and have tended to boot out their leaders at the first whiff of electoral defeat, ousting three in the last five years alone.
