A polling guru has issued a devastating verdict on "bland and boring" Sir Keir Starmer as he clings to power amid the Lord Peter Mandelson scandal. Professor Sir John Curtice said the Prime Minister is viewed by voters as not having a "sense of direction" or a "sense of vision" and is lacking in charisma.

He added that a series of U-turns, including on winter fuel payment cuts for pensions, have damaged confidence in the Government. Asked why Sir Keir is unpopular, the pollster told ITV's Peston programme: "The first thing to say is that all of our leaders are unpopular because all of our parties are unpopular.

"We have to remember we've moved in British politics from an era in which two parties dominated the public... It's become so much more difficult for anybody to be popular.

"But, beyond that, the problem that people say, it's the same problem as most political commentators say, they don't know what he stands for.

"When you get those word clouds the word that comes out is bland and boring. Beyond that therefore given he doesn't convey a sense of direction, doesn't convey a sense of vision, frankly doesn't have much in the way of charisma, the various U-turns of the Government, some of which have been more damaging than others and the one that everybody still remembers is the winter fuel allowance, these have gradually eroded people's confidence in the ability of this Government to do what above all they wanted it to do after 2024 which is to turn around the economy and the health service."

Sir John said it was a rational move for Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar to call for Sir Keir to quit earlier this week.

He said: "Yes, from his point of view. I think the honest truth is you're looking at somebody who had come to realise he was sitting in a car that was about to crash at the end of a cul-de-sac.

"The cause of that is the fact the UK Government is unpopular, not just with people in Scotland in general, it is unpopular with the people who voted for Labour in Scotland back in July 2024.

"The one thing he still had to hand was the steering wheel in front of him, he's just decided to twist the steering wheel.

"He didn't know where the car was going, he just had to hope that maybe the car might stop in a rather softer place than the crash barrier towards which it was heading.

"But the truth is, whether or not he's ended up in a better place, very debatable, it's proving very, very difficult for the Labour Party in Scotland to distance itself from the perceived record of the UK Labour Government."

It comes as Sir Keir has faced the worst week of his premiership so far and was left fighting for his premiership amid the Lord Mandelson furore.