But the pessimism is matched by a striking lack of faith in political leadership, with no party leader commanding the support of even one in five women as a preferred Prime Minister. Against that backdrop, Keir Starmer’s ratings remain firmly negative, with nearly two-thirds (65%) of respondents disapproving of his performance, compared to 23% who approve. Despite this, there is little evidence of a clear alternative emerging. When asked who would make the best Prime Minister, a combined 23% of users say either ‘none of these’ (13%) or don’t know (10%) - more than for any individual leader. Among named candidates, Keir Starmer leads on just 19%, narrowly ahead of Kemi Badenoch on 18%, with Nigel Farage (14%) and Zack Polanski (12%) close behind. Ed Davey trails on 4%. The same pattern is reflected in voting intention, where no party breaks through. Reform leads on 21%, followed by Labour (19%), the Greens (17%) and the Conservatives (13%). The Liberal Democrats are on 5%, with 11% undecided. When asked about the single most important issue influencing their vote, 25% of users point to the cost of living, 21% to immigration and 20% to the NHS and healthcare. Asked who should replace Starmer as Labour leader, Andy Burnham leads on 25%, but almost as many respondents say they don’t know (24%). Wes Streeting follows on 12%, with Shabana Mahmood close behind on 10%. Former Deputy Leader Angela Rayner garners just 7%. Justine Roberts, Mumsnet founder, said: “It’s clear from conversations on Mumsnet just how unsettled the national mood is and how unhappy people are. There’s a strong sense that things aren’t working as they should, whether that’s the cost of living, the state of public services or the pressures of day-to-day life. “What stands out in this data is not just the level of pessimism, but the lack of confidence in any alternative. Keir Starmer is clearly struggling to convince women that the country is moving in the right direction, but there is no obvious figure people are rallying around either. “Support for parties like Reform and the Green Party looks less like enthusiasm and more like frustration with the status quo. If mainstream parties can’t show they understand what’s driving that frustration, and act on it, voters will continue to look elsewhere”. Survey of 1714 Mumsnet users, April/May 2026. Weighted to a nationally representative target of women in the UK aged 25 to 69, by age, region, and education level. |