Sir Keir Starmer has been dealt a fresh political headache after a new poll suggested Labour is rapidly losing its grip on one of the most important pillars of its traditional support base – Britain’s trade union members.
The survey, conducted by JL Partners, found Labour and Reform UK tied on 28 per cent among union members, a remarkable shift that will fuel concerns within Labour ranks about Nigel Farage’s growing appeal among working-class voters.
The findings represent a dramatic decline for Labour compared with its position before the General Election, with support among union members reportedly falling by 20 percentage points since 2024.
Perhaps most worrying for Labour strategists is the extent to which Reform appears to be making inroads among members of some of Britain’s largest trade unions.
Among members of Unite, one of Labour’s most influential union affiliates, Reform was found to be leading Labour by 36 per cent to 30 per cent. The picture was even bleaker among GMB members, where Reform secured 31 per cent support compared with Labour’s 22 per cent.
The figures are likely to intensify concerns that Labour is struggling to retain support among voters who once formed the backbone of the party’s electoral coalition.
For generations, trade unions and Labour have enjoyed a close political relationship, with organised labour helping to shape the party’s identity, policy platform and funding base. However, recent years have seen growing tensions emerge between Labour’s leadership and sections of its traditional working-class support.
The poll will be welcomed by Nigel Farage, who has increasingly positioned Reform UK as the political home of voters who feel abandoned by both Labour and the Conservatives.
Mr Farage seized on the findings as evidence that Labour has become disconnected from the concerns of ordinary workers.
“This polling tells me exactly what I have seen on the campaign trail,” he told The Times.
“Labour is no longer the party of the patriotic working class.
“That mantle now belongs to Reform, which is now the party of those who work hard but for whom the system doesn’t work.”
The Reform leader has spent much of the past year targeting Labour-held seats across England and Wales, arguing that many traditional Labour voters feel alienated by the party’s stance on issues such as immigration, net zero policies and national identity.
Labour, however, dismissed suggestions that the poll reflected a fundamental shift in political loyalties.
Health Secretary James Murray argued that voters would ultimately judge the Government on its record rather than mid-term polling.
Speaking to GB News, he said: “We are two years into a five-year parliament, and we always said things would take time.”
Mr Murray also sought to highlight policy differences between Labour and Reform, insisting that trade union members would remain supportive of measures introduced by the Government.
Don’t forget, union members care about increases to minimum wage which Reform opposed,” he said.
Union members care about workers‘ rights, which Reform also opposed.
Gary Smith, from the GMB, said: “Reform are no friends of workers. They want to cancel hugely important union rights and are targeting the pensions of the low paid. But Labour has to show working-class people it can be on their side, as it did with last week’s essential help for our ceramics industry.”
However, Unite union chief Sharon Graham said: “Labour has abandoned the working class, and the working class have abandoned Labour.”
Nevertheless, the polling is likely to reinforce growing anxiety within Labour about its ability to hold together the coalition of voters that delivered Sir Keir’s election victory.
Recent surveys have suggested Reform’s support continues to strengthen in many former industrial areas where Labour has traditionally dominated. The party’s message on immigration, economic frustration and perceived political disillusionment has resonated with sections of the electorate who feel little improvement has followed recent changes in government.
For Labour, the challenge is particularly acute because trade union members have historically been among the party’s most loyal supporters. Any sustained erosion of that support could have significant implications for future elections.
The findings also come at a politically sensitive moment for Sir Keir, whose government faces mounting pressure over economic growth, public services and living standards.
While Labour ministers insist reforms will take time to deliver results, critics argue voters are becoming increasingly impatient and are beginning to look elsewhere for alternatives.
The JL Partners poll suggests that among some of Britain’s organised workers, the alternative is increasingly becoming Reform UK.
For a party founded by the trade union movement and built on working-class representation, the prospect of losing ground among union members will be viewed by many Labour figures as a warning sign that cannot easily be ignored.
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