Not even a majority of Labour supporters believe Jeremy Corbyn would be a better prime minister than Theresa May, according to a poll published on Friday.
A YouGov survey found 49% of Labour backers wanted to have Corbyn in Downing Street, 12% preferred May and 39% were not sure.
Of people who voted Labour in 2015, 29% thought Corbyn would be the best prime minister, 24% thought May would be and 46% were not sure.
Overall, only 14% of people believed Corbyn would make the best PM compared to 47% who backed May.
One of Corbyn’s closest allies, Unite general secretary Len McCluskey, recently said if the polls were “still awful” in 2019 then the Labour leader may have to consider his position.
“The truth is everybody would examine that situation, including Jeremy Corbyn and John McDonnell,” he said.
This week the Labour-aligned Fabian Society warned the party had “almost no chance” of winning the next election and suggested it form an alliance with the Lib Dems.
“The Corbynite Left has won the big internal battles but it seems to have no roadmap for winning back lost voters,” its report said.
But a spokesman for Corbyn rejected the report. “Labour under Jeremy Corbyn will be taking its case to every part of Britain in the coming months with a radical policy platform,” he said.
Allies of Corbyn have said the party intends to relaunch the Labour leader this year with him due to make more appearances on TV and present himself as a leftwing populist.