A new poll from Ipsos MORI asked a representative sample of GB adults aged 18+ where they placed themselves and others on the left-right political spectrum and how favourable they were towards the main GB political parties and their leaders.
Overall 24% of GB adults place themselves on the left, 25% on the right, 34% in the centre and 17% don’t think of themselves in this way, or just don’t know.
There was little difference in how the public perceive Boris Johnson and the Conservatives on the ‘left-right’ axis but Labour is more likely to be seen as left-wing (57%) than its leader Keir Starmer (49%).
The Lib Dems are most likely to be seen as centrist (33%) but they are also more likely to be seen as a party of the left (27%) than the right (12%). They are also the most likely to have people say ‘don’t know’ (Lib Dems 28%, Labour 21%, Conservative 20%).
Looking at favourability towards Starmer, Johnson and their respective parties by political alignment highlights some challenges for Labour.
- Those identifying as on the right are more favourable towards Johnson (73%) and the Conservatives (72%) than those on the left are towards Starmer (60%) and Labour (62%).
- In fact, those on the left are more unfavourable towards Johnson (84%) and the Conservatives (85%) than they are favourable towards Starmer and Labour, suggesting opposition to the Tories is a key driver of left-wing support for Labour.
- The same pattern is not observed on the right, where those identifying as right-wing are just as favourable towards the Conservatives (72%) as they are unfavourable towards Labour (76%). Encouragingly for Starmer, those on the right are less hostile towards Starmer (54% unfavourable) than those on the left are towards Johnson.
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