Adopting rightwing policies ‘does not help centre-left win votes’

Ed Miliband was the leader of the UK Labour party when it lost its 2015 election campaign, which had focused on fiscal responsibility. Photograph: Stefan Rousseau/PA

Adopting rightwing policies on issues such as immigration and the economy does not help centre-left parties win votes, according to new analysis of European electoral and polling data.

Faced with a 20-year decline in their vote share, accompanied by rising support for the right, far right and sometimes the far left, social democratic parties across Europe have increasingly sought salvation by moving towards the political centre.