Susanna Reid told the home secretary that voters “don’t even believe” Labour’s promises anymore after their first few months of government.
Yvette Cooper was speaking to the media this morning to promote part of Keir Starmer’s attempt to relaunch his premiership with a new set of promises and targets.
However, the interview got a little sticky for the cabinet minister when the Good Morning Britain presenter pointed to the unflattering results of a recent Ipsos Mori poll.
The survey found half of Brits are disappointed in Keir Starmer’s government – including a quarter of Labour voters.
Reid said to Cooper: “It’s one of the reasons I’m sure why Sir Keir Starmer has this reset.
“People getting in touch with us this morning, saying they’re concerned, they don’t even believe you.
“You said there was going to be no new tax, we’ve seen a new tax on employers.
“You never said you were going to take away the winter fuel allowance, we’ve seen that, you’ve taken away from pensioners who aren’t on pension credit.
“And of course, farmers, feel hit by the inheritance tax.
“How are you going to reassure people that they can trust this government?”
Cooper replied: “Well, you’re right that we have had to take some difficult decisions since the election.
“That is about fixing the foundations.
“We did inherit the £22bn black hole in the public finances – we’ve actually had much more of a mess than I had actually really realised in the asylum and immigration system when we actually then look at the details that we’ve inherited.”
She said the volume of “stuff we’re having to fix” does make for “difficult decisions”.
The home secretary added: “But one of the reasons that the prime minister is setting out this plan for change today is to set out, these are the real milestones, these are the things we can actually make a big difference on. Ambitious, but achievable.”
She pointed to Starmer’s plan to get more police officers on the street and to cut NHS waiting lists and waiting times.
Cooper said: “I think at the moment people feel like, ‘I’m not confident that the police will come if I need them, I’m not confident the NHS will be there if I need them.’”
She added: “I really understand why people feel frustrated after the last few years but that’s why we want to rebuild confidence around these practical things that we can deliver.”
Ipsos’s research, carried out between 13 and 16 September, concluded that just 25% of respondents think Starmer is doing a good job as PM – and Brits are more likely to think the Labour government will change the UK for the worse (36%) than the better (31%).
It comes days after a separate survey by Opinium for the Observer found Starmer’s approval ratings have dropped by a staggering 51 points since he was elected in July.