Labour support solid as Rishi Sunak hands Tories small poll boost

The Tories have enjoyed a small poll boost under Rishi Sunak – but Labour ’s support remains unchanged, according to a survey seen by the Mirror.

Two Focal Data studies for campaign group Best for Britain taken before and after Mr Sunak became Prime Minister showed Labour on 42%.

But the Conservatives enjoyed a 6% bounce after the new premier entered No10.

A breakdown reveals the poll boost came from people who originally said they were not going to cast a ballot at the next election, and from those who declared themselves “don’t knows” in the first batch of research.

Analysts said the results suggested “that the vast bulk of undecided voters cannot be won as easily by Labour as the Conservatives and are more likely to vote Tory at the next election than any other party”.

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Best for Britain is campaigning for an overhaul of the electoral system and wants opposition parties to work together to oust the Tories.

Chief executive Naomi Smith said: “These findings reveal many ‘don’t knows’ are really ‘won’t says’ or timid Tories, meaning Labour’s massive poll lead could be in jeopardy come election time.

“With an electoral system already skewed heavily in favour of the Conservatives, opposition parties can’t afford complacency and should work together to end 12 years of Conservative-led government that has delivered economic failure and unnecessary hardship for millions of people.”

The first poll of 10,000 people took place between October 20 and 26.

It had the Tories on 18%, with 8% saying they would not vote and 13% claiming they did not know who they would vote for.

Mr Sunak became PM on October 25 and a second survey of 2,000 people was taken from October 28 to 30.

In that study, the Tories’ rating leapt to 24% while those saying they would not vote fell to 6% and “don’t knows” dropped to 10%.

Best for Britain said: “Were these voters to side with the Conservatives, it would increase the chances of another hung Parliament even before any electoral pact between right-wing parties of the kind seen in 2017 and 2019.”

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