Almost six in 10 (58 percent) of all Tory supporters from the 2019 election have abandoned the party, the latest weekly tracker poll from Techne UK for Express.co.uk has revealed.
The survey of 1,642 voters provides the lowest point in support from previous Conservative voters yet with around one in 10 (9 percent) saying they will not vote at all.
It comes as the Conservative Party has descended into an even deeper civil war over Rishi Sunak’s emergency legislation to try to get deportation flight to Rwanda off the ground.
With supporters of sacked former Home Secretary Suella Braverman claiming the legislation fails to deliver what is needed and the resignation of Robert Jenrick as Innigration Minister, Mr Sunak is staring down a potential vote of confidence by his MPs.
Worse still, the poll shows that trust in the government has dropped a further two points to just 32 percent.
According to the findings among those who express a preference for a party, 45 percent will vote Labour (unchanged), 22 percent Conservative (down one), 12 percent Lib Dem (up one), 8 percent reform UK and 7 percent Green (both unchanged).
According to the prediction website Electoral Calculus, this would leave the Conservatives on a mere 75 seats with Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour Party enjoying a record 336 majority.
The result would be the worst in the 345-year history of the Tories less than half the all time low in 1906 of 156 seats.
Techne UK chief executive Michela Morizzo described the findings as “exceedingly grim” for a struggling Mr Sunak.
She said: “After the small post Autumn Chancellor’s statement bounce for the Conservatives last week there was some consideration that this might be a turning point electorally for the party. However, with a Ministerial resignation last night and ongoing confusion regarding the Government’s Rwanda deportation proposals our tracker poll today makes for exceedingly grim reading for the Conservatives.”
She went on: “Not only has Rishi Sunak’s party lost one point in national vote share dropping down to 22 percent and thereby giving Labour once again a 23 point lead – Labour staying static on 45 percent of national vote share – but our weekly confidence in Government tracker shows a two point loss in trust too.
“And, quite incredibly, now just 42 percent of 2019 Conservative voters say they will continue to vote for the party. This seems to be the effect of an uncertain scenario that leads people to switch to other parties or in the no-vote area.”
The figures put Labour ahead in every age and economic category.
While some Sunak loyalists have claimed it would be “insane” to change leader now, Tory rebels preparing to send in letters to the 1922 Committee demanding a vote of confidence in the Prime Minister have seen enough.
One critic said: “He has got to go. Colleagues need to find their backbone and get the letters in.”
Another Tory MP said: “It’s over. It is just a matter of time before this fully sinks in with colleagues. Sunak has to go and we need a new leader.”
