“London is a Labour city” was always something of an exaggeration but it’s even more misleading today than it has been for quite a while. Polling just released by the Mile End Institute (MEI) at Queen Mary University of London suggests that the capital’s falling out of love with Labour. We can guess why its former supporters have gone AWOL but whether they can be tempted back or replaced is another matter.
It's still the case that Labour is doing better among London’s voters than it is across the country as a whole. Labour support is averaging a paltry 23 per cent nationally compared to 32 per cent in the capital. Sadly, however, the 11-point drop in the party’s support since the general election is exactly the same in London as it is across Britain, suggesting that Labour is no more insulated against disillusion in the capital than anywhere else.
