New poll finds only privileged people will vote for Labour - but why?

[ProudAmberTurtle]

This is a new IPSOS poll. It finds that among the least well off in society, support for Labour has collapsed - it's now just 10%.

Even among people who are 'just about coping' financially, they're a distant fourth in the polls, and would be wiped out if it was just them voting.

But - here's what might be surprising - among wealthy people they are first in the polls, in fact their lead is so big that if only rich people could vote, it would be a landslide for Labour.

Any thoughts as to why it is now that only the most privileged people in society are voting Labour?

https://www.ipsos.com/sites/default/files/ct/news/documents/2026-04/Ipsos%20Apr%202026_Political%20Monitor%20charts_Public.pdf

@eyeballer - maybe it's just that Labour and the Tories aren't offering anything that appeals to them so why not give Reform a go?
I'm a firm believer that Reform would never have got the support it does if Labour and the Tories actually had better quality MP's offering something the electorate wants. Labour needs to understand it's core voter base - if those people have moved to Reform, it would be unwise to carry on insulting them as far right. You are never going to attract their votes back by insultng them. They need to understand why them have gone to Reform.

So is it a protest vote or do they genuinely think Reform will improve their lives?

Agree, personally am university educated but whatever someone has been doing they’ve often been gaining just as valuable experience. I detest the fact that my degrees are held in far more esteem than all the experience from years spent raising a large family

When I think back to my college days, the “wokest” students all lived in large houses.
Its hard to see what’s wrong with mass immigration when you live in a gated community that’s 99% British

I'm a firm believer that Reform would never have got the support it does if Labour and the Tories actually had better quality MP's offering something the electorate wants

But what do they want?

I think we are so fractured and divided that it’s impossible for one party to appeal to their traditional voter base.

It seems many want low taxes, better public services and lower migration. That utopia isn’t possible.

Competence?

But not educated in the real world. Calling people racist while living in areas unaffected by mass immigration. Not to mention younger people are more likely to be left wing and become right wing as they grow older and become more experienced

And how is that measured? By giving people what they want?

Surely you want at least a competent party in Government? Can you honestly say we have one currently? With the number of u turns and constant in fighting? Is anyone getting 'what they want'?

I don’t think they are any less competent than the previous government. I didn’t like the u-turns on benefits but many people were aghast at changing things. Look at the ridiculous outcry over means testing winter fuel.

Is anyone getting 'what they want'?

Again, what is it that people want? I am not getting what I want, I want growth & a strong economy. We haven’t had that in years. No one party is going to deliver it either.

I think the answer is in this thread over and over again.
The privileged dismissing the concerns of those less well off AND calling them uneducated. I’d like to know how many of them live in run down areas.
I live in an area with one of the ‘hotels’ and it is not good. Migrant men milling about in the streets. The sexual harassment by said men. The hotel has gone from looking ok to all the windows hanging off and rubbish strewn everywhere.
Reform are a single issue party and will probably get in as the strength of feeling about the volume of immigration in this country is the highest I’ve ever known. The country is economically down at heel and people don’t appreciate the speed of change, the fighting for scraps or the building on green belt to accommodate all this incomers. Tax credits were also an unreversed disaster. Labour and Conservatives have dismissed or minimised the urgency of all of this at their peril and as a result we’ll be lumped with Farage. The only upside to that (as well as hopefully some changes to migration) is he will have to put his money where his mouth is and finally be held accountable.

Indeed, both the previous Tory Government and current Labour Government haven't shown competence. It's evident to everyone that there is no stand out candidate to replace Starmer if he goes. I think back to the Blair Gov - the likes of Straw, Brown, Cook and Mowlam. What talent compared to whst we are faced with now.

None of the parties are anything to write home about at the moment and they only have themselves to blame. Lots of people love a grifter and Nigel Farage is King of the Grift, I’d love to see a psychological study around why lots of people seem to be drawn to putting people in charge who say what they want to hear but have nothing to back it up.

Most people in this country, regardless of income, still believe that we are somehow ‘better’ than nearly all other places. They don’t understand that we are in a decline and because our political parties are all incapable of dealing with that or even talking about it, in general people don’t understand why they can’t have all the things all the time. They look to immigrants or people on benefits or small landlords or higher rate tax payers and blame those groups for the lack of resource when really there isn’t enough to go round and the country is being bled dry by companies buying up anything that can be asset stripped or sold back to the state at a profit.

Politics rewards people who do as they are told and put self interest above that of the country so whoever you vote for is never going to do anything for you unless it does something for them too. Maybe it’s always been like that though.

I'm a firm believer that Reform would never have got the support it does if Labour and the Tories actually had better quality MP's offering something the electorate wants.

Are you saying Reform MPs are more competent? Based on what? Plus aren’t many of them from other parties?

No, I'm saying the major parties are no longer appealing to their core voters anymore. They aren't seeing any party representing their views. Along comes a new party, with no record of failure, promising changes they might not be able to deliver on - who knows? Reform are unknowns in Government - they have no track record. They might be dreadful, but they offer something different.

The privileged dismissing the concerns of those less well off AND calling them uneducated. I’d like to know how many of them live in run down areas.

i think it’s too simplistic to think like this though. My parents are immigrants, I grew up in a part of London that was immigrant heavy & very deprived/unsafe. That area has gentrified beyond belief & I would likely be classed as privileged now.

Interestingly if you look at economic performance under labour & tory governments there isn’t a much difference. In reality the socialist/capitalist polarisation gives way to practical centralist economical policies.

My question is why do people think Reform is offering something new? Simply because they say so? Did Brexit teach us to believe Farage? Do the Reform controlled councils show evidence of competence? Is Trump proof that taking a punt is a good idea?

Core voters have become split because society is split

Except the poll does not use the word "privileged". It is based on self reported financial wellbeing. I have clipped the poll for % for who based on financial wellbeing. The tories are pretty level, reform and the greens sort of shadow each other, both gaining as financial wellbeing drops. "others" rise though. I suspect indys for locals.

Labour support drops as well being drops. That drop being split between reform, greens, and others.

No mention of privilege anywhere.

They don’t understand that we are in a decline and because our political parties are all incapable of dealing with that or even talking about it, in general people don’t understand why they can’t have all the things all the time

But do people want to hear it? Reform had mooted changing the triple lock but quickly rowed back.

I think it's as simple as voters are fed up. Both the Labour and Conservative Governments have been such disappointments.
Too much in fighting, u turns and little progress on matters important to voters.
It's not that Reform inspire - it's just they are not more of the same.

@RedTagAlan I was responded to the context of the post I replied to.

And I agree education is not the same as intelligence, my mum left school young & my dad had to leave uni to earn, moved to London & earned well in the city. But I can still question why poorer people think Reform will solve their problems.

Sadly government employees form their own strata of privileged class and vote accordingly

Absolutely!

There is also a general lack of understanding about government, councils and funding. Lack of critical thinking allows for misinformation spread by political parties.

A local council is lead by Reform. The leader, interviewed on local TV, claims he will save the local people “millions, no billions each year” in council spending.

Critical thinking and google.
1 The council budget, a public document, shows that the council DO NOT have a budget of BILLIONS.
2 Even if it had, why would local people want the budget saved to that extent. No public services…no lighting, no road fixing, no care and safeguarding of vulnerable children and adults, no schools, no early years, no libraries, etc etc etc. That is the only way he can save the billions (that aren’t there…😆🙄)

Checking out information is a first step.

I think it's as simple as voters are fed up

I agree & a large reason why we had Brexit. I’m fed up!

But Reform are not going to improve anything

They might, they might not. But they are not more of the same. The 'push emergency button' last resort.