Britain’s most toxic twosome just threw Keir Starmer’s sinking premiership a surprising life raft

Keir Starmer can rest easy for now knowing Meghan Markle and Prince Andrew are hated even more, writes US commentator Lee Cohen

Keir Starmer is currently rated as the least popular British prime minister on record. Recent polls, including an Ipsos survey, show only 13 per cent of voters are satisfied with his leadership, with 79 per cent expressing dissatisfaction, giving him a net approval rating around minus 66, the worst recorded by Ipsos since 1977.

This is a dire warning, yet breathe easy, Sir Keir: you are not the most despised figure in Britain today. That unenviable crown belongs to Prince Andrew, a royal pariah beyond redemption.

His public favourability languishes at approximately five per cent, with 87 per cent of the public expressing disapproval—numbers that cement him as one of Britain’s least liked figures by a wide margin. But watch closely: Meghan Markle’s unpopularity is closing in.

She holds roughly 20 per cent favourability with negative sentiment around 68 per cent, drawing ever nearer. Together, the trio forms a stark tableau of public doubt and disdain, a warning to a nation craving sound leadership and integrity. Starmer’s tenure is plagued by tone-deafness, broken promises, and a crisis of trust.

His early days were marked by uninspiring economic debates while Labour grappled with internal conflict over its direction. Following the 2024 election, Starmer retreated from key welfare reforms and infrastructure pledges, diluting his once-bold “change” rhetoric.

Scandals involving donor deals, ministers, and the 2025 sacking of Peter Mandelson as US ambassador over resurfaced Epstein ties deepened public scepticism.

The July 2025 welfare reform debacle exposed a fragile leadership core. Starmer scaled back from £5billion in disability benefit cuts to £2.5 billion after 126 Labour MPs rebelled, despite a comfortable majority. This capitulation followed flip-flops on heating aid for pensioners and faltering responses to child abuse inquiries.

Industrial unrest simmers as steelworkers rage over 50 per cent EU tariffs on excess imports, worsened by post-Brexit trade missteps and job protection failures.

Meanwhile, fallout from the 2024 riots lingers, exacerbated by an early prisoner release programme that has fuelled public safety fears. Polling reflects this discontent: only 21 per cent of Britons approve of Starmer’s leadership, while 65 per cent disapprove.

Many voice frustration at governance failures on NHS waiting lists, immigration, and border control. Public opinion data from YouGov and Opinium portray a leader struggling to regain footing amid turbulent political waters.

Labour’s electoral standing mirrors this unease. Official polls place Labour at 21 per cent, trailing Reform UK’s 34 per cent, highlighting a sharp decline. Internal factions like the Living Standards Coalition underscore ideological fragmentation.

Calls for Starmer’s resignation echo through Westminster, fuelled by fears of eroding authority and a faltering majority. While Starmer’s political leadership is crumbling, Prince Andrew is an unhealable gash on the nation’s institution of monarchy.

Once respected for his naval career, he is now synonymous with scandal. The Epstein case defines him—visits to the predator’s homes, assault allegations, and the disastrous 2019 Newsnight interview where denials clashed with evidence. A multimillion-pound settlement did little to restore trust.

In 2025, Andrew’s standing worsened. Over 100 emails tied to Epstein revealed a closer relationship than admitted, including a 2011 message: “We’ll play some more soon!”—despite claims of severed ties. The backlash was swift. Social and charitable affiliations dissolved; Sarah, Duchess of York, was dropped by seven organisations for Epstein-related links and publicly distanced herself. Royal tensions have flared.

King Charles excluded Andrew from the 2024 Christmas list, reportedly under pressure from Prince William, who demands his titles be rescinded to protect the monarchy. Andrew’s refusal to vacate Royal Lodge and awkward public appearances deepen rifts.

Spy rumours swirl, adding to his liabilities. Public polling underscores his fall: YouGov figures show five per cent favourability and 87 per cent disapproval, marking him among Britain’s most unpopular figures. Unlike political figures, Andrew remains a toxic outlier with no path to recovery.

Meghan Markle’s venomous descent is headspinning. A fading star whose every move screams selfish stupidity. Her past is a mess: ditching the palace amid bullying claims, like that tea-throwing outburst on tour and staff quitting in droves.

Her projects flopped — Netflix deals and a memoir full of lies, preaching privacy while chasing fame. Family feuds over her lavish lifestyle and unproven racism claims earned her the grifter label. 2025 has been a damaging year; her unpopularity has soared. Markle’s Netflix show “With Love, Meghan” bombed: Season 1 hit #383 with 5.3 million views, Season 2 didn’t even chart; critics trashed it at 38 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes for being shallow and self-obsessed.

Her “As Ever” brand’s a joke—unsold wines, complaints about quality, and branding disasters that shout incompetence. October’s Paris blunder was the worst: an Instagram video lounging with feet up in a limo near Pont de l’Alma — where

Diana died in 1997—called “insensitive” and “tasteless”, sparking a social media firestorm that crushed her few defenders.

It’s peak overexposure and ego, with 2025 polls at 20 per cent approval, 65 per cent negative, losing even her loyalists as she races toward your level of contempt.

Markle’s not fading—she’s crashing, a two-faced flop whose every stunt backfires, wrecking her image beyond repair. Rest easy for now, Prime Minister:

The Duke of York’s reputation exceeds your unpopularity, and Markle has earned a permanent position of contempt among the British and global public, but your title as the least popular PM on record is one for the history books.