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Tories dramatically close gap on Labour in best polling since general election
A YouGov poll puts the Conservatives on 24 per cent, their strongest showing since the 2024 general election and just two points behind Labour. The result is a boost for Kemi Badenoch and comes as Reform UK remains in third place, suggesting the contest between the leading parties may be tightening.
The poll, conducted after last week’s Budget, shows Labour down one point to 26 per cent and Reform UK up one to 21 per cent. It suggests 67 per cent of people who voted Conservative in 2024 would do so again, while 17 per cent of 18 to 24-year-olds now intend to back the party. The Liberal Democrats are on 11 per cent and the Greens on 10 per cent.
In short
- Conservatives reach 24 per cent, their best poll result since the 2024 election.
- Labour leads by two points, while Reform UK remains third.
- Younger voters are among the groups showing support for the Tories.
Explained simply
The UK is a parliamentary democracy: voters elect MPs, and the party able to command a majority in the House of Commons usually forms the government. Labour won the 2024 general election, while the Conservatives became the main opposition party.
Kemi Badenoch leads the Conservatives, and Reform UK is a separate party competing for voters who might otherwise support the Conservatives. The Liberal Democrats and Greens are smaller parties; support for each can affect how votes are divided across the country.
Polls estimate how people say they would vote, rather than predicting the result of an election. They matter because shifts in support can indicate how parties are faring with voters, though a single poll does not show what will happen at a future election.