Monday, June 05, 2023
Labour's failure to resonate with swing voters
The Independent reports on polling that finds that nearly a third of swing voters are worried the Labour party will not do a better job of tackling the cost of living crisis than the Tories.
The paper adds that other reasons why members of the public say they are hesitant about backing Keir Starmer’s party included not knowing what the opposition stands for (24 per cent) and concerns it will raise taxes (22 per cent) if it wins the next general election:
More than 2,000 voters were surveyed for think tank The New Britain Project between 12 and 15 May in the exclusive poll.
The government has implemented a number of financial assistance packages aimed at helping households cover the cost of their bills and has set a target of halving inflation, which eats into household budgets, by the end of the year.
Despite the help, large numbers of people believe ministers are not doing enough to help them through the financial squeeze as support for middle-income households draws to a close.
Labour has said it would introduce a “proper” windfall tax on the profits of oil and gas giants to help people with their energy bills and to fund a freeze on council tax for cash-strapped households, some of whom face hikes of up to 6 per cent.
But critics have pointed out that the party has used the policy, which it initially said would raise around £13bn, to fund other pledges which one estimate put at £40bn.
And some 31 per cent of swing voters are not convinced Labour can improve the cost of living crisis and improve their personal finances, according to polling carried out by More in Common for The New Britain Project.
The issue appears to lie in Starmer not setting out a wider vision for how he wants to govern the country. Labour may have a double digit lead in the polls at present, with the Tories in disarray, but that is no reason to sit back and expect victory to fall into their lap. We need to know what they will do differently if they win, and how they will address the problems faced by the country.
The paper adds that other reasons why members of the public say they are hesitant about backing Keir Starmer’s party included not knowing what the opposition stands for (24 per cent) and concerns it will raise taxes (22 per cent) if it wins the next general election:
More than 2,000 voters were surveyed for think tank The New Britain Project between 12 and 15 May in the exclusive poll.
The government has implemented a number of financial assistance packages aimed at helping households cover the cost of their bills and has set a target of halving inflation, which eats into household budgets, by the end of the year.
Despite the help, large numbers of people believe ministers are not doing enough to help them through the financial squeeze as support for middle-income households draws to a close.
Labour has said it would introduce a “proper” windfall tax on the profits of oil and gas giants to help people with their energy bills and to fund a freeze on council tax for cash-strapped households, some of whom face hikes of up to 6 per cent.
But critics have pointed out that the party has used the policy, which it initially said would raise around £13bn, to fund other pledges which one estimate put at £40bn.
And some 31 per cent of swing voters are not convinced Labour can improve the cost of living crisis and improve their personal finances, according to polling carried out by More in Common for The New Britain Project.
The issue appears to lie in Starmer not setting out a wider vision for how he wants to govern the country. Labour may have a double digit lead in the polls at present, with the Tories in disarray, but that is no reason to sit back and expect victory to fall into their lap. We need to know what they will do differently if they win, and how they will address the problems faced by the country.
