Keir Starmer 'could sack shadow chancellor' amid poll woes

Keir Starmer ‘could sack shadow chancellor’ in bid to revive Labour’s fortunes as poll shows party is EIGHT POINTS behind the Tories

• Keir Starmer said to be looking at replacing shadow chancellor Anneliese Dodds 
• A Deltapoll survey for The Mail on Sunday puts the Conservatives on 44 per cent 
• Labour behind on 36,as public supports Boris Johnson’s rollout of Covid vaccine 

Keir Starmer could replace his shadow chancellor in a desperate bid to revive Labour’s fortunes, it was claimed today as a poll showed the Tories eight points ahead.

Anneliese Dodds could be moved from the key economic brief after complaints she has under-performed since being appointed last year.

Speculation is mounting about a major frontbench reshuffle as Sir Keir prepares to mark his first anniversary as leader. 

Surveys suggest Labour is failing to make much of a dent in Conservative support that delivered Boris Johnson a huge majority in 2019, despite the coronavirus turmoil. 

And Sir Keir is facing his first major electoral test in May with crucial local and mayoral elections. 

A Deltapoll survey for The Mail on Sunday puts the Conservatives on 44 per cent, with Labour lagging by eight points on 36

Keir Starmer (left) could replace shadow chancellor Anneliese Dodds (right) in a desperate bid to revive Labour’s fortunes, it was claimed today

According to the Sunday Times, Rachel Reeves and Lisa Nandy are both in the frame to replace Ms Dodds, who was initially handed the job due to her strong economic credentials, but is seen as having struggled to get the party’s arguments across.

A source told the paper: ‘Nandy is one of the party’s best communicators and has not been in a role that has enabled her to utilise her talents to the full and needs a more public-facing role.’  

A Deltapoll survey for The Mail on Sunday put the Conservatives on 44 per cent, with Labour lagging on 36 per cent. 

The poll found the public is rallying behind the PM’s lockdown easing plan, with 68 per cent in favour and just 20 per cent against.

The PM’s ratings also look to have been boosted by his handling of the ‘vaccine wars’ with the EU.

Just 24 per cent think European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was right to threaten to block vaccine exports, while 54 per cent believe she was wrong.

Nearly a third of respondents said the situation had made them more favourable towards Brexit, including 27 per cent who voted Remain. 

Some 45 per cent think the UK’s response has been better than that of French President Emmanuel Macron, and only 16 per cent think it was worse.

Meanwhile, Britons believe it has been better than German Chancellor Angela Merkel by a margin of 36 per cent to 20 per cent.

The 57 per cent of people who think that the Government is doing the right thing on Covid is the highest figure since May last year.

The vast majority of people – 85 per cent – say that they have closely followed the Covid rules over the last 12 months, with fewer than one in 20 saying they have not been following them at all.

A large majority, 72 per cent, support the new £5,000 fines for people who travel abroad without good reason, with 69 per cent, supporting a total ban on people travelling abroad before the rules are potentially lifted on May 17.

After a year of restrictions, two-thirds of people say that they ‘really need a holiday’.

:: Deltapoll interviewed 1,610 adults online between March 25 and 27, 2021 and weighted the data to be representative of the adult population as a whole.

Surveys suggest Labour is failing to make much of a dent in Conservative support that delivered Boris Johnson (pictured last week) a huge majority in 2019

Just 24 per cent think European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (pictured) was right to threaten to block Covid vaccine exports, while 54 per cent believe she was wrong

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