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UK poll tracker: Tory support hits new high after Labour Budget
YouGov polling released days after Labour’s Autumn Budget puts the Conservatives at their strongest level since the 2024 general election, just two points behind Labour in voting intention. Labour nevertheless remains well ahead in the poll, while Reform UK has fallen to third place for a third consecutive week.
The Independent’s aggregate of recent polls gives Labour 29 per cent support, with the Conservatives and Reform both on 21 per cent; the Liberal Democrats and Greens are on 10 and 9 per cent respectively. YouGov figures suggest Labour support among its former voters has risen from 49 to 64 per cent since June, and among 18 to 24-year-olds from 14 to 32 per cent. The article links Reform’s decline to internal disputes and competition from Restore Britain, while Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said there will not be an election soon.
In short
- Conservatives reach their highest polling level since the 2024 election.
- Labour leads YouGov voting intention by two points.
- Labour’s support among 18 to 24-year-olds has risen to 32 per cent.
Explained simply
The UK’s main political parties compete for votes at general elections, which decide who forms the government in the House of Commons. Labour is the governing party, led by Prime Minister Andy Burnham, while the Conservatives are the main opposition; Reform UK, the Liberal Democrats and the Greens are smaller parties.
Polls ask people how they would vote if an election were held now, but they are estimates rather than election results. The Autumn Budget is the government’s plan for taxes and public spending, so polling after it can indicate how voters are responding to the government’s choices.
The figures matter because they offer a snapshot of support across the parties and may shape how they approach voters. The UK is not due to hold an election soon, so the polling does not change who governs.
Art Culture Elections Politics UK World