Labour moves to 12-POINT poll lead over Tories as Keir Starmer’s party opens up largest gap since Boris Johnson’s resignation
- Labour moves to 12-point lead over the Conservatives in new survey of voters
- Redfield and Wilton Strategies poll shows biggest lead since Boris Johnson quit
- It comes amid bitter Tory leadership race and Keir Starmer pledge to freeze bills
Labour has moved to a 12-point lead over the Tories in a new poll – the largest gap since Boris Johnson announced his resignation as Prime Minister.
The latest survey from Redfield and Wilton Strategies put Sir Keir Starmer‘s party on 43 per cent support, with the Conservatives backed by 31 per cent of voters.
It gives an indication of the size of the task awaiting Mr Johnson’s successor – whether Liz Truss or Rishi Sunak – in overhauling Labour to win the next general election.
The poll, conducted online among 2,000 adults on Sunday, is the latest sign that Labour are moving ahead of the Tories amid the increasingly bitter leadership battle between Ms Truss and Mr Sunak.
It also comes after Sir Keir unveiled his party’s pledge to freeze household energy bills this winter during the cost-of-living crisis.
In the latest Redfield and Wilton Strategies survey, Labour (up two points) increased their lead over the Tories (down three points) to five points higher than the pollster’s last survey a week ago.
Labour last held a 12-point lead over the Conservatives on the day Mr Johnson announced he would quit as PM on 7th July.
The latest survey from Redfield and Wilton Strategies put Labour on 43 per cent support, with the Conservatives backed by 31 per cent of voters
Sir Keir Starmer has seen his party stretch their lead over the Tories to 12 points – the largest gap since Boris Johnson announced his resignation as Prime Minister
Labour last held a 12-point lead over the Conservatives on the day Boris Johnson announced he would quit as PM on 7th July
The poll also suggested the Conservatives are struggling to retain the support of those voters who backed them at the last general election.
It found that 81 per cent of those who voted Labour in 2019 would vote Labour again, while just 58 per cent of those who voted Conservative at the last general election said they would vote Conservative again.
The cost-of-living crisis is at the forefront of voters’ minds, with two-thirds (67 per cent) citing the economy as the most important issue determining how they would vote.
Worryingly for the Tories, Sir Keir now beats both Ms Truss and Mr Sunak in a head-to-head among voters.
When asked to choose between Sir Keir or Mr Sunak as to who would be the better PM, the Labour leader is backed by 41 per cent over the ex-chancellor’s 34 per cent support.
When asked to choose between Sir Keir or Ms Truss as to who would be the better PM, the Labour leader is backed by 36 per cent over the Foreign Secretary’s 35 per cent support.
A previous poll last month showed Ms Truss was favoured as a better PM over Sir Keir.
A plurality of respondents believed a Labour majority would be the most likely outcome if a general election were held in the next six months
Worryingly for the Tories, Sir Keir now beats both Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss in a head-to-head among voters
The Labour leader is now backed by 36 per cent over the Foreign Secretary’s 35 per cent support, with Sir Keir having previously trailed Ms Truss
Polling expert Peter Kellner today said the swing of support to Labour, as shown in recent voter surveys, was ‘real’.
It comes after a YouGov poll conducted last week gave Labour a 15-point lead over the Tories.
Mr Kellner expressed doubts the new Tory leader would enjoy a ‘honeymoon’ period.
He told Sky News: ‘The Conservative leadership campaign has done the party quite a lot of harm.’
He added there was ‘overwhelming support’ among voters for Labour’s pledge to freeze energy bills.