Next general election will be decided in north of England, says thinktank

The analysis found that 60% of battleground seats at the next election will be in northern England compared with 20% in the south. Photograph: Paul Bevitt/Alamy

The north of England will be the principal battleground in the next general election, according to research that also concluded there is no evidence of a southern “blue wall” ready to fall.

The study by the Onward thinktank suggested that Labour could regain 31 seats in the north, Midlands and north Wales if 2019 Conservative voters switched back to their preferred party, but only three southern seats would change hands.