Rishi Sunak's popularity rises as he hardens his zero stance

Rishi Sunak, pictured celebrating victory in a by-election in Uxbridge, is more popular with Tory rank and file. Credit: Carl Court/Getty Images

Rishi Sunak's popularity among Tory members skyrocketed after he took a tougher stance on net zero issues.

Support for the Prime Minister among the Conservatives at large grew after his party's surprise victory in by-elections in Uxbridge and South Ruislip. , which many saw as a de facto referendum on expanding London's Ultra Low Emissions Zone (Ulez).

After the vote, Mr Sunak said he was on the side of motorists and asked the Department for Transport to check low traffic areas across the country.

On Monday, he announced the government was issuing hundreds of new oil and gas exploration licenses in the North Sea.

Last month, Mr. Sunak's popularity among rank-and-file conservatives fell to its lowest level since finishing in 10th place.

He earned a net satisfaction score of -2.7 — the first time Mr. Sunak found himself in negative territory after moving to Downing Street at the end of October last year.

This result placed him eighth from the bottom in the Cabinet rankings on the ConservativeHome website. It was one of nine that received a negative rating.

But the prime minister bounced back in the latest poll of party members, scoring 20.7, placing him in the middle of the rankings. Going to a nil result and winning the by-election were cited as potential factors in turning the tide.

The Tories surprisingly held onto Boris Johnson's former seat in the July 20 election.

The surprise victory of Conservative MP Steve Tuckwell in the by-elections in Uxbridge and South Ruislip boosted Sunak's approval rating. Credit: Karl Court/Getty Images

The result prompted senior Laborites, including Sir Keir Starmer, to pressure London Mayor Sadiq Khan to rethink policy.

On Friday, Mr Khan announced the more financial support to ease the pain caused by the tax. Affected motorists can now receive a grant of up to £2,000 towards a greener car.

The Prime Minister insists he remains committed to meeting the government's target of zero emissions by 2050.

However, critics have questioned that commitment, arguing that allowing new fossil fuels to develop has undermined aiming for zero.

0408 Poll

A separate poll of Conservative members, released earlier this week, found the political importance of a net zero for the prime minister.

It turned out that the vast majority is 83 percent believe the government is wrong to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles from 2030. Mr. Sunak insisted that the policy would be carried out as planned.

Elsewhere in the Cabinet rankings, Ben Wallace, Secretary of Defense, continued his career as the most popular minister among the Tory grassroots , recording a net satisfaction rating of 76.8.

Teresa Coffey, the Minister for the Environment, came last in the rankings with a score of -17.6.