Labour has seen its support in London slump as it “sheds votes” to Reform UK, the Tories, Liberal Democrats and Greens, according to a new poll.
The Savanta survey, commissioned by the Mile End Institute at Queen Mary University of London, put Sir Keir Starmer’s party on 32% - an 11 percentage point drop since the general election last July.
The Conservatives are on 21%, while Nigel Farage’s Reform has surged to 15% - ahead of both the Liberal Democrats and the Greens who are both on 13%.
One in four Londoners who voted for the Labour government now say they would not do so.
The poll shows Labour losing voters to parties on the right and the left, with Reform perhaps the biggest winner. It comes after the party welcomed Westminster councillor Laila Cunningham, who defected from the Tories on Monday.
Eight per cent of 2024 general election Labour voters in the capital now say they would back Reform, according to the survey.
Six per cent would support the Lib Dems, 6% the Greens and 5% the Tories.
Dr Elizabeth Simon, Postdoctoral Researcher in British Politics at Queen Mary University of London, said: “There is a clear sense of dissatisfaction with the way the Labour government is running the country in the capital, and this is reflected in Londoners vote intentions.
“Our new poll suggests that Labour would win just 32% of the vote in the capital, if there was to be a general election tomorrow – which is 11 percentage points down on the 43% they won in the 2024 contest.
“The scale of this shift away from Labour appears to be pretty strong, with 26% of Londoners who voted for the Party in 2024 saying that they would now vote for a different party or candidate.”
Labour losing votes compares to 95% of 2024 Reform UK voters saying they would still back the party, as would 88% of Lib Dems and Green voters and 81% of Conservative voters.
Asked about the most important issues facing the capital:
- Forty-six per cent of Londoners stated ‘policing, crime and personal safety’
- Forty-two per cent cited “the provision of affordable homes”
- A third of Londoners named “the provision of health services in the capital”
- A quarter said “the levels of taxation in the capital”
Sir Sadiq Khan, who has been warning ministers recently against adopting an “anti-London” approach with plans to rebalance the economy, is faring slightly better in terms of popularity than the Government.
Fifty-one per cent of Londoners are dissatisfied with the way the Labour government is running the country, with just 27% satisfied, giving a net approval rating of -24.
For Sir Sadiq, 34% said they were satisfied with his performance as Mayor of London, 44% were dissatisfied, a net score of -10.
Savanta interviewed 1,003 Londoners online between April 29 and May 21. Data are weighted.
