Labour ‘on track for a serious chance to get overall majority in next election’, Professor Sir John Curtis says

Labour is on track to win the next general election with a majority of seats after a tumultuous period in British politics, one of the UK’s most trusted pollsters has said.

Liz Truss resigned as Prime Minister on Thursday – leaving her as officially the shortest-serving premier in Britain’s history.

Her six-week reign saw her accused of gambling the UK’s future with a £45bn tax giveaway that sent the pound crashing and financial markets into a tailspin.

In the space of six days, the leader lost two of her most senior ministers, sat in silence as her economic programme was ripped to shreds in parliament, and was ridiculed by the opposition as she tried to defend her position.

There will now be a leadership election to be completed within the next week, she said after speaking to the leader of the 1922 Committee, Sir Graham Brady, in No 10.

Speaking on Scotland Tonight Professor Sir John Curtice, of Strathclyde University, said that the “dramatic” change in the political landscape means that there is a “serious chance” which could see Labour get an overall majority in the next election.

When asked about the case for a general election, Sir John said: “The argument would be that this [Conservative] government now looks so fragile, seems to find it so difficult to provide a stable government and frankly is just so unpopular, given that the country does now face very difficult economic circumstances, perhaps it needs a fresh government with a fresh mandate.”

The pollster added that possibility of a majority party “undoubtedly has implications for the SNP” because, he added: “The SNP’s best chance of getting a referendum was by using the position of being the hinge party in perhaps more than one hung parliament in order or eventually to get a referendum out of the Labour party. That prospect for the time being at least has receded quite considerably.”

Sir John mentioned “how rebellious MPs are these days” and warned that “even a party with a substantial majority is no longer guaranteed to provide this country with much in the way of stable government.”