Public thinks Labour more likely to offer Britain a fresh start – poll

People still think a hung parliament is the most likely outcome of the next election.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer (Owen Humphreys/PA) (PA Wire)

Voters think Sir Keir Starmer is more likely to provide a fresh start for Britain than a new Conservative leader but are split on who will win the next election, a new poll has found.

A survey of 1,000 British adults carried out by Ipsos after Boris Johnson’s resignation found the public thought a future Labour government was more likely to act with integrity, offer Britain a fresh start and improve public services than a Conservative government with a new prime minister.

Gideon Skinner, head of political research at Ipsos, said: “Potential Conservative leadership challengers do not just need to demonstrate their own personal attributes for the job, and how they will deliver on Britons’ priorities, but will also want to show how they can improve public perceptions of the party as a whole.

“At this early stage, though, the challenge is that across many metrics Britons think a Labour government is more likely to produce a fresh start, a competent government with integrity, and one that is more likely to deliver improvements on the cost of living, public services and levelling up.”

The opposition’s biggest lead was on improving public services, with 47% saying this was more likely under a Labour government against 28% saying it was more likely under a new Conservative leader.

Some 49% thought a government led by Sir Keir was more likely to act with integrity, 47% said it would offer Britain a fresh start and 40% said Labour would reduce regional inequalities. The respective figures for the Conservatives were 37%, 36% and 27%.

But on growing the economy and cutting taxes, there was little to separate the parties. Some 36% thought the Tories were more likely to grow the economy compared to 34% for Labour, while the respective figures for cutting taxes were 35% and 34%.

Mr Skinner added: “Labour itself also has some doubts to overcome, and the public is still split over which party is most likely to win the next general election.”

Some 39% still expect the Conservatives to return to power after the next election, either with an outright majority or as the largest party in a hung parliament, while 37% expect Sir Keir to enter Number 10. Only a third of people expect either party to form a majority.

Although these figures show significant uncertainty, they also represent a large improvement for Labour since December 2019, when just 22% of people expected the party to form a government after the next election and 59% thought the Conservatives would remain in power.