How can Labour capitalise on Keir Starmer’s lead over Boris Johnson in the polls?

Former leaders have demonstrated how radical reforms can be completed within a parliamentary term, writes Sean O'Grady – but is Starmer ready for such a huge overhaul?

With a relatively unknown shadow cabinet, it is up to Starmer to do the heavy lifting (Getty)

What are we to make of the impressive rise of Keir Starmer in the opinion polls? Does it mean Labour will win the next election? What could the Conservatives do to stop that happening?

The key to both questions lies in the interesting disparity between Starmer’s image and approval, and that of his party. Starmer has only been leader of the opposition since April, but in that period he has dramatically overtaken Boris Johnson by two key measures. First, the public perhaps now increasingly thinks he would make the better prime minister, albeit with tight margins – 34 per cent to 32 per cent in the latest YouGov survey.

Two polls have now indicated that, though plenty of recent ones also have Johnson in front. It is a slightly mixed picture.