Labour is about to face an important political challenge with the upcoming local and mayoral elections, but new polling suggests the party is losing support and trust from many British people.
According to the latest YouGov survey, only 24% of people believe that Labour genuinely cares about ordinary people. This is the lowest figure since the polling company began asking that question in 2019.
On the other hand, more than half of those surveyedabout 51% now think that Labour only cares about a small, select group rather than the general public. An even greater number, 59%, say the party is untrustworthy. Only 15% of people said they trust Labour, which is the lowest trust rating the party has received since October 2019.
These figures come at a difficult time for Labour, as party leader Sir Keir Starmer and shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves prepare for elections that will test the party’s popularity. A growing number of voters also feel disconnected from the party.
Just 14% think Labour is in touch with people’s everyday lives, which is a drop from 17% in February. In fact, this is the lowest rating for Labour being “in touch” since May 2021. Right now, 62% of people think Labour is out of touch with the public.
Two months ago, 27% believed Labour cared about ordinary people. That number has now fallen to 24%, showing a continuing decline.
When asked whether the party is trying to do what’s right for the country rather than serve its own interests, only 29% of respondents agreed. This is also the lowest score since 2019. These declining numbers may be a concern for Labour’s campaign team as they work to win support ahead of the elections.
YouGov researcher Beth Kühnel Mann also pointed out that opinions about Labour vary based on age. For example, younger adults aged 18 to 24 seem more evenly divided: 36% of them say Labour cares about regular people, while 34% disagree.
But among older adults those aged 65 and over the outlook is more negative. Around 60% of people in that group believe Labour only cares about a select few, and just 17% think the party is interested in helping ordinary citizens. This matters because older voters are more likely to show up and vote in elections.
In response to the polling results, Richard Tice, the deputy leader of Reform UK, criticised Labour harshly. He described the party as being run by middle-class lawyers based in North London who focus more on foreign courts and legal matters than on helping working people.
He also blamed Labour for cutting off winter fuel payments to pensioners and for spending large amounts of money to house illegal migrants. According to him, these actions have led many Britons to stop trusting the party.
Labour has been asked for a response to the poll results, but has not yet commented.
