LONDON: Labour holds a 17-point lead over the Conservative Party, setting up a potential landslide win at the next general election similar to the 1997 victory of Tony Blair, according to a new survey.
The BMG poll conducted for The i, a London morning newspaper, shows voters favour Keir Starmer’s Labour Party on most issues, from the cost of living, housing and the National Health Service to traditional Tory priority areas like crime, defence and Brexit. The only area where Conservatives were favoured was on the war in Ukraine.
When asked about their satisfaction with party leaders, respondents put Prime Minister Rishi Sunak at a net approval of -20, compared to +3 for Starmer.
The survey was consistent with expectations for the Conservatives to face a wipe-out at the next general election, which must be held no later than January 2025. Labour in 1997 won a 179-seat majority under Blair’s leadership. Some projections see many top Tory MPs losing their seats.
If an election were to be held now, about 46% of the public would vote for Labour, 29% for the Conservatives, 9% for the Liberal Democrats, 6% for Reform UK, and 4% for the Green Party.
BMG Research polled 1,500 adults online from Feb 21 to 23. No margin of error was given.
Starmer recently set out his party’s five long-term “missions” for Britain if Labour wins power, and pledged that the UK would see the “highest sustained growth” in the Group of Seven nations, ensure the ailing NHS is rendered fit for the future, and make Britain a “clean energy superpower”.
