Labour are on track for their worst end to the year in opinion polls since the Second World War.

Sir Keir Starmer‘s party is now averaging just 26.6%, despite winning one of the largest-ever majorities five months ago.

Analysis of nearly 1,000 polls across 75 years found Labour are now 1% behind their previous end-of-year low in 2016, when Jeremy Corbyn‘s tenure was dogged by an antisemitism row and leadership challenges.

The only other years to rival their current low were 1981, when the new SDP-Liberal Alliance upended politics, and after a decade of power in 2009, when the party was reeling from the recession and expenses scandal.

Labour are still leading the polls, but are now just 0.5% ahead of the Conservatives – well down on their 19% lead in January.

Kemi Badenoch‘s party has been practically stagnant for some time. It now sits on 26.1%, barely 2% above when Liz Truss resigned.

Reform UK is several points behind on 21%, with the Liberal Democrats on 11.8% and the Greens on 7.7%.

The analysis for Sky News’ Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips calculated averages using the first and last 10 polls of each year (or first and last five before 1997, when polls were less frequent).

The Labour Party’s current standing is a far cry from the 44% share it enjoyed in January.

Its 17.6% fall since then is the biggest calendar-year collapse in support ever recorded in UK-wide polls.

Only twice has a bigger drop happened more suddenly.

The first was Nigel Farage‘s start-up Brexit Party in 2019, which surged to first place in the European Parliament elections after weeks of Commons deadlock over negotiations.

Within six months, its support was largely absorbed by Boris Johnson‘s Conservatives.

Bigger still was the Liberal Democrat collapse of 2010 – its “Cleggmania” wave during the May election campaign evaporated weeks after becoming the unpopular coalition government’s junior partner.

But history suggests all is not yet lost for Labour.

When they ended the year below 30% in 2009 and 2016, they rebounded more than 10% the following year.

And Margaret Thatcher recovered from a similar low of 27% in 1981 to win a 144-seat majority – though she was buoyed by the Falklands War.

The year’s biggest winner by far is Reform UK.

Our analysis shows its more-than-doubling is the fourth-biggest jump seen in a calendar year in peacetime.

But with a general election still four years away, its challenge is holding on to that momentum.

No third party experiencing such a surge since the war has maintained its support beyond two years.

On the final Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips of 2024, Trevor will be joined by Leader of the House of Commons Lucy Powell and shadow housing secretary Kevin Hollinrake.

Watch it live on Sky News from 8.30am, and follow along live on the Politics Hub.

Tyson Fury has responded after his defeat to Oleksandr Usyk in their heavyweight world title rematch in Saudi Arabia.

British fighter Fury, 36, had hoped to take revenge after his previous defeat to Usyk in May.

The Ukrainian, 37, who had entered the bout as a narrow favourite, retained his WBO, WBC and WBA heavyweight titles with his win at Riyadh’s Kingdom Arena.

But, the fight went to the scorecards with all three judges scoring the fight 116-112 in Usyk’s favour.

“I swear to God, I thought I won it by at least three rounds,” Fury said shortly after the fight.

“I felt a little Christmas spirit in there and I think he got a little Christmas gift from them judges. An early Christmas gift.

“I was confident I had won that fight again. I thought I’d won both fights but then again I’ve gone home with two losses on my record. I will always believe until the day I die that I won that fight.

“I’m not going to cry over spilt milk. It’s happened now.”

Fury left the ring without doing an interview, leaving his promoter Frank Warren to speak on his behalf.

“How can Tyson only get four rounds in this fight? It’s impossible,” Warren told TV network DAZN, adding he thought Fury had won.

“Only four rounds. Each of them gave him four rounds, four different rounds. I’m not saying this because I’m biased, but everyone along the front there all thought it went the same way.

“It’s nuts. It’s nuts, I don’t get it. I’m really disappointed with that. I thought he was in control of the fight and boxed extremely well. Usyk was on the back foot for most of the fight, but it is what it is.”

Usyk became the only man to inflict a professional defeat on Fury when he beat him on points in May, becoming the first boxer to hold all four major heavyweight belts at the same time and the first undisputed champion in 24 years.

But his reign over the four belts ended just a month later when he gave up his IBF belt to fight Fury in a rematch because he was unable to make a mandatory defence against the organisation’s interim belt-holder, Daniel Dubois.

“I win,” Usyk said simply after the fight, “it’s good”.

He also paid tribute to Fury.

“He’s a great fighter, a great opponent and it was a great 24 rounds. Unbelievable 24 rounds in my career. Thank you so much,” Usyk said.

Daniel Dubois, the IBF heavyweight title holder, was quick to call for a fight with Usyk following the result.

“I want my revenge,” he told Usyk directly. “Let’s go.”

Dubois, 27, defended the IBF belt with a fifth-round knockout of fellow British rival 34-year-old Anthony Joshua in October.

He faces Joseph Parker on 22 February and the Usyk win could set up a future fight to unify all of the titles.

Ahead of the bout, Usyk and Fury engaged in a stare-down for more than 11 minutes in a head-to-head press conference on Thursday.

Fury weighed in at a career-high 20 stones 1lbs, while Usyk weighed 16 stones 2lb, the heaviest he has recorded, although both men were fully clothed when they stepped on the scales.

It’s been revealed that the Princess of Wales asked Lady Gabriella Windsor, whose husband died earlier this year, for her help to plan her annual carol service.

During the summer, Kate invited Lady Gabriella, the daughter of Prince and Princess Michael of Kent, to join her team organising her annual Together at Christmas event at Westminster Abbey.

The heart-warming gesture was very much in tune with the overall theme of the service, recognising those who have shown love, kindness and empathy to others in their communities.

Speaking of Lady Gabriella’s reaction, a friend said she felt “honoured” and “very touched and grateful to the princess to be asked to contribute to her very special concert”.

Kate is understood to have been incredibly grateful for her contribution.

Lady Gabriella’s husband, financier Thomas Kingston, died on 25 February from a head injury and a gun was found near his body at his parents’ home in the Cotswolds.

In October a coroner concluded he took his own life and during the inquest his widow warned about the effects of drugs used to treat mental health problems after the hearing was told Mr Kingston was prescribed drugs following complaints of trouble sleeping following stress at work.

Lady Gabriella, also known as Ella to her friends, supported Kate and played an advisory role with the organising team around the music performances that featured during the service.

The carol service took place on 6 December, with Kate joined by Prince William and their three children Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, who all held candles during the service, as did the other guests in the congregation.

The service, shown on television on Christmas Eve, will start with a recorded voiceover from the Princess, featuring extracts from a letter given out alongside this year’s order of service.

She will say: “The Christmas story encourages us to consider the experiences and feelings of others.

“It also reflects our own vulnerabilities and reminds us of the importance of giving and receiving empathy, as well as just how much we need each other in spite of our differences.

“Above all else, it encourages us to turn to love, not fear. The love that we show ourselves and the love we show others.

“Love that listens with empathy, love that is kind and understanding, love that is forgiving, and love that brings joy and hope.”

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Olympic cycling champion Sir Chris Hoy, who is terminally ill with prostate cancer, lit a candle, as did Lindsey Burrow, the wife of former rugby league star Rob Burrow who died in June following a much-publicised battle with motor neurone disease.

Readings were given by Prince William and actors Richard E Grant, Michelle Dockery, Sophie Okonedo, and Olympic swimming gold medallist Adam Peaty.

The service will be broadcast as part of the programme Royal Carols: Together At Christmas, screened on ITV1 and ITVX on Christmas Eve, and will also feature three films about people and organisations who have inspired, counselled and comforted others in their times of need.