Rishi Sunak plunged into fresh crisis by catastrophic new data just hours before Supreme Court ruling that risks sinking his premiership

Sunak sacked controversial Home Secretary Suella Braverman following her incendiary article about pro-Palestine protesters.

He also appointed former Prime Minister David Cameron, who left Downing Street following the Brexit vote in 2016, to the Foreign Office.

WATCH NOW: Jacob Rees-Mogg discusses Rishi Sunak's decision to sack Suella Braverman

However, the Cabinet changes have not appeared to have helped stabilise Sunak’s support.

Only 19 per cent claimed they would vote for the Conservative Party if a general election were held tomorrow.

Almost half of voters, 49 per cent, revealed they would vote for Labour.

Richard Tice’s Reform UK also looks likely to benefit from Tory woes as 11 per cent of respondents threw their weight behind the populist party.

Support for the Liberal Democrats stands at just nine per cent and the Green Party is registering around seven per cent.

The Government is facing a crunch moment tomorrow as the Supreme Court looks poised to give its decision on whether the Rwanda migration plan is lawful.

A plurality of Britons support the policy, with 40 per cent backing it and 32 per cent opposing it.

There is growing concern that the Supreme Court will rule the Rwanda plan is unlawful but Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick insisted the Government’s policy will go ahead before the next general election.

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Sunak made stopping illegal immigrants crossing the Channel a main part of his five priorities as Prime Minister.

Braverman was a major advocate of the Rwanda policy as Home Secretary.

In her explosive letter to the Prime Minister, the Fareham MP doubled-down on her support for stopping the boats.

She said: “I was clear from day one that if you did not wish to leave the ECHR, the way to securely and swiftly deliver our Rwanda partnership would be to block off the ECHR, the HRA and any other obligations which inhibit our ability to remove those with no right to be in the UK. Our deal expressly referenced ‘notwithstanding clauses’ to that effect.

“Your rejection of this path was not merely a betrayal of our agreement, but a betrayal of your promise to the nation that you would do ‘whatever it takes’ to stop the boats.

“At every stage of litigation, I cautioned you and your team against assuming we would win.

“I repeatedly urged you to take legislative measures that would better secure us against the possibility of defeat. You ignored these arguments.

“You opted instead for wishful thinking as a comfort blanket to avoid having to make hard choices. This irresponsibility has wasted time and left the country in an impossible position.

“If we lose in the Supreme Court, an outcome that I have consistently argued we must be prepared for, you will have wasted a year and an Act of Parliament, only to arrive back at square one.

“Worse than this, your magical thinking — believing that you can will your way through this without upsetting polite opinion — has meant you have failed to prepare any sort of credible ‘Plan B’.

“I wrote to you on multiple occasions setting out what a credible Plan B would entail, and making clear that unless you pursue these proposals, in the event of defeat, there is no hope of flights this side of an election. I received no reply from you.

“I can only surmise that this is because you have no appetite for doing what is necessary, and therefore no real intention of fulfilling your pledge to the British people.”

However, 51 per cent of voters approve of Sunak’s decision to sack Braverman.

Despite only 17 per cent disapproving of her dismissal, the number rises to 35 per cent among 2019 Tory voters and 32 per cent with 2016 Brexit backers.

The return of Cameron has also raised eyebrows among voters.

Only 21 per cent of people support the former Prime Minister’s “not usual” return to Cabinet.

The figure soars to 37 per cent among Tory voters and 28 per cent with Liberal Democrats.

However, 44 per cent oppose Sunak’s decision to give his ex-boss an opportunity to return to frontline politics.

Cameron, who has already spoken to American counterpart Antony Blinken, “gladly accepted” his role as Foreign Secretary.

He said: “Though I may have disagreed with some individual decisions, it is clear to me that Rishi Sunak is a strong and capable Prime Minister, who is showing exemplary leadership at a difficult time.

“I want to help him to deliver the security and prosperity our country needs and be part of the strongest possible team that serves the United Kingdom and that can be presented to the country when the general election is held.

“I believe in public service. That is what first motivated me to get involved in politics in the 1980s, to work in Government in the 1990s, become a Member of Parliament in the 2000s and put myself forward as party leader and Prime Minister.”

Respondents to the PeoplePolling survey also handed the Tories another major blow after just 11 per cent agreed that the Conservative Party “understands people like me”.

The figure is only 27 per cent among 2019 Tory voters, with 50 per cent claiming the party does not understand them.

Almost two-thirds of all voters, 65 per cent, believe the Conservative Party does not understand people like them.

The GB People's Poll

Fieldwork Period: November 14, 2023
Sampling Method: Online
Population Sampled: All adults (18+) in Great Britain
Sample Size: 1,581

To ensure the polling is representative of the target population, we use official and reliable data sources to match the sample to demographic population targets.

Weighting: The sample has been weighted to be representative of the population on the following variables: gender, age, socio-economic group, region, vote in the 2019 General Elections and 2016 Brexit referendum vote.