British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who took office a month ago, is supported by almost half of Britons, while the popularity of his Conservative Party is at its lowest level in 15 years.
Upon arriving at the head of the government on October 25, after the short unsuccessful mandate of Liz Trass, Sunak stabilized the economy, confirmed partnerships with allies from Washington to Kiev and even appeased the European Union after years of disputes between Brussels and London.
Challenges, however, are still ahead: from the weakening economy, the rising cost of living and the divided and increasingly unpopular Conservative Party, which has been in power for 12 years.
Opinion polls show that Sunak, a 42-year-old former investment banker, is well liked by the British public, which is not the case with his party.
In a poll conducted by Ipsos, 47 percent of respondents said they liked the prime minister, and 41 percent said they did not like him.
"It's definitely better than Boris Johnson had earlier this year" when he was prime minister, said Gideon Skinner, head of political research at Ipsos.
The survey showed that only 26 percent of Britons have a positive view of the Conservative Party, and 62 percent do not have a good opinion, which is the worst data for that party in 15 years. 1.004 people participated in the research.
Many voters welcomed the arrival of Sunak as a change from Liz Truss and her predecessor Boris Johnson, whose three-year mandate was marked by scandals.
The party, however, has been in power since 2010, so it is difficult to abdicate responsibility for the financial problems of its country.
While it is not impossible for the Conservatives to regain public confidence before the next election, scheduled for the end of 2024, it will not be easy. Surveys show that the Labor Party could easily win.
Sunak gained popularity as finance minister during the coronavirus pandemic when he financially supported closed businesses and workers who lost their jobs.
Now it is facing an even more severe economic crisis caused by the pandemic, Brexit and the war in Ukraine, which led to an increase in energy prices.
The situation was further aggravated by the tax cuts introduced by Tras, which led to financial market turmoil, the fall of the pound, the increase in the cost of borrowing and the emergency response of the central bank.
The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) announced this week that the British economy is expected to contract by 0,4 percent next year and grow by only 0,2 percent in 2024, which is the worst forecast among members of the Group of Seven richest liberal democracies (G7). .
Sunak went to Kiev last week and promised that Britain's policy of support for Ukraine would not change under his leadership.
London has given Ukraine £2,3 billion in military aid since the start of the war, more than any country other than the US, and has announced it will send anti-aircraft guns, anti-drone technology and three Sea King helicopters.
In relations with the European Union, Sunak was softer than his predecessors, but achieving a concrete change will be more difficult given the power that Brexit advocates have in the Conservative Party.
The UK could ease trade relations with Brussels if it agreed to comply with European regulations in some areas.
However, after reports that the government wanted closer relations, which angered Eurosceptics, Sunak said he would not accept alignment with EU regulations.
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