Working-class people who were a key part of the coalition of voters that delivered the Conservatives’ 2019 general election win have been deserting the party in droves under Rishi Sunak’s leadership, polling has found.
Only 44% of working-class voters who voted for the Tories in 2019 say they will back the party next time, according to research by YouGov released as Keir Starmer prepares to make what will probably be his last pitch for support at a Labour conference before a general election.
A report released by the centre-left thinktank Progressive Policy Institute, which commissioned the findings, said Labour’s lead was much narrower with working-class voters than the wider electorate and urged Starmer’s party to redouble its efforts to woo them.
This would include placing a “relentless focus” on raising wages for those on low to middle incomes and opening up housing to younger people, according to the report authored by Claire Ainsley, a former policy director to Starmer.
However, as net zero becomes increasingly central as a battleground, other findings around attitudes towards the climate crisis showed there was an awareness of it across all social groups, with more working-class voters saying the government is not doing or spending enough to try to reduce carbon emissions (34%).
In findings that may hearten Labour – which has sought to remind the public of Sunak’s wealth – 74% of those polled describe the party he leads as not close to working-class people, strongly associating them with wealthy individuals and big business.
The original article contains 753 words, the summary contains 250 words. Saved 67%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!
This is the best summary I could come up with:
Working-class people who were a key part of the coalition of voters that delivered the Conservatives’ 2019 general election win have been deserting the party in droves under Rishi Sunak’s leadership, polling has found.
Only 44% of working-class voters who voted for the Tories in 2019 say they will back the party next time, according to research by YouGov released as Keir Starmer prepares to make what will probably be his last pitch for support at a Labour conference before a general election.
A report released by the centre-left thinktank Progressive Policy Institute, which commissioned the findings, said Labour’s lead was much narrower with working-class voters than the wider electorate and urged Starmer’s party to redouble its efforts to woo them.
This would include placing a “relentless focus” on raising wages for those on low to middle incomes and opening up housing to younger people, according to the report authored by Claire Ainsley, a former policy director to Starmer.
However, as net zero becomes increasingly central as a battleground, other findings around attitudes towards the climate crisis showed there was an awareness of it across all social groups, with more working-class voters saying the government is not doing or spending enough to try to reduce carbon emissions (34%).
In findings that may hearten Labour – which has sought to remind the public of Sunak’s wealth – 74% of those polled describe the party he leads as not close to working-class people, strongly associating them with wealthy individuals and big business.
The original article contains 753 words, the summary contains 250 words. Saved 67%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!