London could be swept by a “sea of Green” at the May elections as Zack Polanski’s party makes big gains, according to a leading pollster.
A new survey by Ipsos UK found 49 per cent of Londoners are considering voting for the Green Party at the local elections when Labour is expected to suffer heavy losses.
This is the highest figure for all the parties, with Labour in second place on 44 per cent.
Just over a third of Londoners, 35 per cent, are considering backing the Liberal Democrats at the borough elections.
Twenty-eight per cent are mulling supporting an independent and 16 per cent considering voting for Reform UK.
Keiran Pedley, Director of Politics at Ipsos UK, told the Standard: “Our data shows that there could be a sea of Green in London after the May local elections.
“There is a desire for radical change and deep concerns over the cost of living.”
The percentages cited on people considering backing different parties are not voting intention figures.
They may give an indication of potential maximum level of support for a party.
But some people, particularly on the Left of politics, may consider voting Green, Labour or for the Lib Dems.
On the other hand, people supporting Reform could have firmly made that decision and may not be open to possibly backing another party.
So, the poll is not showing that Nigel Farage’s party on 16 per cent means it is going to get a third of the vote share of the Greens.
But Mr Polanski’s party is expected to make major gains in the capital, with polls suggesting it will win hundreds of seats and possibly a number of councils such as Hackney and Haringey.
Nearly six out of ten Londoners, 57 per cent, expect Labour to lose seats, and 51 per cent believe the Greens will win more, according to the Ipsos survey.
The cost of living was the issue cited by most Londoners (62 per cent) as a very important issue in deciding how they will vote, followed by crime and policing (58 per cent), the NHS (54 per cent), state of local roads, streets and pavements (50 per cent) and then the UK economy (49 per cent).
Forty-four per cent of adults in the city mentioned public transport and housing, 42 per cent education and schools, 37 per cent level of taxation, the same figure for jobs and wages, 36 per cent poverty and inequality, 35 per cent shops, the local town centre and high street and 34 per cent asylum and immigration.
Reform is seeking to win councils in outer London, with its main focus being on the east of the city and boroughs such as Bexley, Bromley, Havering, as well as Barking and Dagenham.
Mr Farage has suggested that some boroughs, such as Bromley, may want to leave London.
Kemi Badenoch’s Conservatives are seeking to regain the former Tory stronghold councils of Westminster, Wandsworth and Barnet which were won by Labour the last time the borough elections were fought in 2022.
But the Conservatives may lose some councils to Reform in outer London.
Sir Ed Davey’s Lib Dems are seeking to become the majority party on Merton council and to strengthen their stronghold in south-west London where they already run Kingston, Sutton and Richmond councils.
The poll also found that 40 per cent of Londoners are dissatisfied with the way London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan is doing his job, and 36 per cent are satisfied.
* Ipsos interviewed 1,600 adults between April 2 and 8, before the Mandelson vetting scandal exploded, in areas where local elections are being held on May 7 in England, including more than 460 adults in London. Data are weighted.
