A new poll has issued another damning blow to Sir Keir Starmer and Labour after the party’s walloping in last week’s local elections. Among all major political parties, those who voted for Labour in the 2024 General Election have the lowest confidence in their decision.
More than 2,100 UK adults took part in the survey between April 25 and 28 which was commissioned by the Institute of Research and Reforms (IRR) International and conducted by Savanta for GB News. Almost a third of Labour voters polled (29%) say they believe they now made the wrong choice on the ballot paper last July when Sir Keir’s party won by a landslide. Meanwhile, 14% and 12% of Tory and Lib Dem voters said they regret their choice.
The poll found 64% of Labour voters still backed the decision they made at last year’s election – significantly less than Conservative and Liberal Democrat voters (83%) and Reform (81%).
The survey also suggested a number of areas that voters think Labour is currently not getting it right.
Some 62% said Labour poorly understand the impact of the cost of living crisis, with 58%, 55% and 52% saying the same regarding immigration, housing and employment and healthcare respectively.
It also found 49% of respondents said the Government was failing to understand issues around public transport, while 72% said ministers are misunderstanding how immigration is impacting communities, GB News reported.
Ali Rehman Malik, Chairman of IRR International, said: “This poll should serve as an urgent call to action for every major political party but especially for Labour, which has lost the confidence of nearly a third of its own voters.”
He added: “A great deal of this public dissatisfaction stems from Labour’s persistent failure to communicate its policies with clarity, confidence, and conciseness, particularly on issues that have a direct and tangible impact on local communities.
“Whether it’s the cost of living, housing, or levels of immigration, the party has struggled to offer a coherent narrative that reassures voters and shows genuine understanding of community-level realities.”
The survey was held in the days before local elections were held across England which saw Reform make significant gains.
Nigel Farage’s party gained more than 600 seats and took control of 10 local authorities in the elections, claiming it represented “the end of two-party politics” and the “beginning of the end of the Conservative Party”, with the Tories also suffering heavy losses.
Labour lost 187 council seats in the elections.
Some within the party’s ranks feared the controversial winter fuel payment cuts were a significant reason for Labour’s poor performance but Number 10 ruled out a U-turn.