The poll news just keeps getting worse for Simon Bridges. Newshub/Reid Research have released their favourability ratings and Simon Bridges is almost as bad as Jeremy Corbyn:
The latest Newshub-Reid Research poll has revealed New Zealanders’ thoughts on Simon Bridges and Jacinda Ardern‘s performance – and the Prime Minister is still ahead.
The poll found that 63.3 percent of New Zealanders think Ardern is performing well – up 0.9 percentage points; while 22.4 percent think she’s performing poorly – down 0.7 percentage points.
The results also show 26.1 percent of New Zealanders think Bridges is performing well – up 2.2 percentage points; while 50.6 percent think he’s performing poorly – down 2.1 percentage points.
Newshub
Wishful thinking won’t improve those numbers. It’s the net score that is important.
Ardern: +63.3% minus 22.4% = +40.9%
Bridges: +26.1% minus 50.6% = -24.5%
That gives a differential of 65.4. That is simply unsustainable for an opposition leader heading into the campaigning season.
When Andrew Little was on 10% as preferred PM, it was correctly called an utter catastrophe, yet in Bridges’ case, people think it’s worth celebrating because they think he is “trending” the right way. Even so, I can’t see him doing a hell of a lot better than 10%; it’s probably as good as he will get.
And bear in mind that this poll was taken at the end of a long hot summer holiday when no one had seen or heard from a politician in weeks. The more people discover about Simon Bridges the worse those numbers are going to get.
National caucus members should now be insisting on seeing Curia’s own favorability ratings. If Bridges’ leadership team refuse then you know they are as bad or worse than Newshub‘s.
History does not favour politicians with deeply negative ratings. Simon Bridges is so bad he makes Bill English look viable as a leader, and Bill lost twice, once badly. As more polls roll in, National’s caucus are going to have to work out if they want to win or lose less badly than where they’d be with Bridges as leader. Tick tock, time is running out.
Ignore these numbers if you will, call it a rogue poll as well. Just don’t act surprised when National loses, again.
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