How did the recession affect the Labour Party’s popularity in 2009?

In 2009, the Labour Party’s popularity plummeted as a direct result of the worldwide financial crisis and the ensuing recession, which severely tested the government of Gordon Brown.1

The economic downturn, characterized by growing unemployment and an increasing budget deficit caused by stimulus efforts, significantly weighed down the prime minister’s poll ratings. This decline in public standing was compounded in the spring of 2009 by a political scandal involving the widespread abuse of expense accounts by members of Parliament.1

The combined impact of the recession and the expenses scandal led to dismal electoral performances for Labour, most notably in the June 4, 2009, European Parliament elections, where the party secured only 15.7 percent of the vote. These results visibly weakened Brown’s authority and triggered internal party efforts to oust him as leader. By September 2009, Labour’s morale suffered further when The Sun newspaper switched its support to the Conservatives, making a Labour loss in the following general election appear inevitable to most observers.21