When Keir Starmer entered No 10 last summer, he was a healthy 14 percentage points ahead of the Conservatives on the economy. But that lead, on a question vital to voter confidence, is disappearing. The electorate still trusts Labour over the Conservatives when it comes to managing the economy, but by a very precarious two points. This should be the source of some discomfort for the party.
This shift is stark. But its genesis is not hard to identify. Labour came into power off the back of an apathetic and largely indifferent voter base. The party’s 2024 supporters were irritated by the cost of living and hoped the party could provide a salve to many years of Tory economic mismanagement. Instead, they have experienced no immediate and material change in circumstance. This is costing Labour important breathing space.
Behind all of this is the general national apathy. Followers of council by-election results (there are some!) will notice that turnout, traditionally very low, is even lower than usual right now. What would have been a turnout of 25-30 per cent in an affluent, graduate-heavy part of the world is at times yielding a turnout of below 20 per cent these days.
The country is apathetic, and so is Labour’s base. As a consequence, on this very important metric, the party is struggling. How can they recoup the losses? Answers on a postcard.
[See more: Bridget Phillipson is planning a fightback]
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