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Ukip leader Neil Hamilton is the least popular political leader in Wales ever, according to a new poll.
The new Mid and West Wales regional AM has been included on the list of leaders people in Wales are asked to rate in the regular Welsh Political Barometer poll.
The 1,017 people who took part in the poll were asked to give all the leaders a score between 0 and 10 – where 0 means ‘strongly dislike’ and 10 means ‘strongly like’.
Professor Roger Scully, of the Wales Governance Centre at Cardiff University, said Neil Hamilton had received an average rating of 2.1 out of 10.
He wrote on his Elections in Wales blog : “Put simply, his rating are quite extraordinarily poor.
“I’ve looked back through the full run of past YouGov polls in Wales that have asked this form of question (and also asked my colleagues at YouGov to double-check), and cannot find any other leader ever scoring as low as an average of 2.1 out of 10.
“Indeed, no-one has ever scored nearly as badly as Mr Hamilton. Nor have I yet been able to find any other example anywhere in the world where, on this form of question, a political leader has been so poorly rated.”
Neil Hamilton
Who is Neil Hamilton?
Campaigning with the Hamiltons
Hamilton’s England football song
Neil Hamilton’s £1.4m home – in England
Hamilton ‘too old’ – Nigel Farage
Hamilton’s concubines jibe was an insult
Neil Hamilton on ‘hiraeth’
Hamilton will take Ukip backwards
How all the leaders rated out of 10
- Leanne Wood – 4.8
- Carwyn Jones – 4.7
- Kirsty Williams- 4.4
- Jeremy Corbyn – 4.1
- Natalie Bennett – 3.9
- Tim Farron – 3.7
- Andrew RT Davies 3.6
- Alice Hooker-Stroud – 3.4
- Nigel Farage – 3.4
- David Cameron – 3.1
- Neil Hamilton – 2.1
Prof Scully’s conclusion
“It is difficult to place a positive interpretation on these findings.
“Probably the worst combination a political leader can manage it to be both visible and disliked. This, however, is what Neil Hamilton appears to have managed.
“The best thing I can say is that at least he hasn’t peaked too early in public popularity.”
