Ed Miliband emerges as new favourite to replace Keir Starmer as Labour members back ex-leader to succeed PM

When Labour members were last polled in September, Sir Keir Starmer received a score of 33 per cent. This figure has now plummeted to minus three per cent.

Mr Miliband, the MP for Doncaster North, has a positive approval rating of 55 per cent, putting him ahead of the likes of Health Secretary Wes Streeting and Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood.

According to the polling seen by The Times, 51 per cent of Labour members do not think the party will win the next General Election if Sir Keir Starmer remains in post.

Meanwhile, 58 per cent said Labour's performance in government had been worse than they expected.

Mr Streeting, the MP for Ilford North, came in second, with a positive score of 44 per cent, with the party’s Deputy Leader and Manchester Central MP Lucy Powell, in third on 31 per cent.

The Home Secretary came in fourth on 18 per cent, with Chancellor Rachel Reeves behind on 13 per cent.

Founder and Chief Executive of BlondeMoney Helen Thomas, who commissioned the survey, told The Times: "This polling shows that Keir Starmer’s plummeting personal ratings with all voters is similarly reflected in the views of Labour Party members.

"This is likely to prompt further speculation about Starmer’s successor and thus the direction that the party in government chooses to take."

When asked to name the two most important qualities for any party leader to had, 48 per cent of Labour Members chose competence.

Meanwhile, 39 per cent chose for the ability to beat Nigel Farage's Reform UK at the next general election.

Mr Miliband led Labour from 2010 to 2015, taking over the role from Gordon Brown.

Under his tenure, the party decisively lost the 2015 General Election to the Conservatives, who under David Cameron won a 12 seat majority after Mr Miliband's party lost almost every seat in Scotland to the SNP.

After being relegated to time on the backbenches during Jeremy Corbyn's leadership, he returned to the Labour frontbench in 2020 as Shadow Energy Secretary and Net Zero Secretary.

He has repeatedly denied he has plans for a second stint as party leader.

Support for Sir Keir Starmer's Labour Party has fallen to just 14 per cent in a damning new opinion poll.

Sir Keir, who won a thumping landslide victory last summer on 34 per cent of the vote, is now in a distant fourth place, according to Find Out Now's latest survey.

Reform UK remains well out in front, with Nigel Farage hoovering up 31 per cent of the vote.

Kemi Badenoch's Conservatives trailed in second place on just 20 per cent, leaving Zack Polanski's Green Party in third on 18 per cent.