Sunak ‘remains as far behind Labour as ever’ despite campaign pledges

Labour’s lead remains a dominant 17-points, with the Conservatives’ targeting of older voters not moving the dial, according to the first voting intention poll from Savanta for The Telegraph since the election was announced.

The poll, conducted over the weekend (24-26 May), sees the Labour Party on 44% of the vote share, with the Conservatives on 27%, exactly the same lead as the previous week – despite lower inflation figures, the energy price cap dropping and the National Service policy announcement.

Savanta’s last five voting intention polls have shown Labour leads of 18, 16, 18, 17 and now 17 points. National polling continues to remain consistent, with the only notable change being an ongoing drop in support for Reform UK (8%), down to their lowest vote share in a Savanta poll since early March 2024.

Labour (34%) continues to narrowly beat the Conservatives (32%) among those aged 55+, even with the early Conservative campaign focusing on the ‘grey vote’. Labour lead the Conservatives in every age category except among those aged 65+, where the Conservatives lead 37% to Labour’s 30%.

Chris Hopkins, Political Research Director at Savanta said, “Nothing has changed, as was famously once said. Despite strong inflation figures, the lowering of the energy price cap and some big policy announcements such as on National Service, Rishi Sunak remains as far behind Labour as ever.

“This is consistent with all of Savanta’s research, which suggests that Labour lead the Conservatives on every policy measure, and Keir Starmer outperforms Rishi Sunak in almost every category.”

“The small crumb of good news for the Prime Minister is that Reform UK’s vote looks increasingly squeezed, although our fieldwork took place before Nigel Farage decided to burst back onto the scene.

“But if Sunak was hoping this election was going to be a mechanism of persuasion, and he would be able to capitalise one a thimble of momentum, he has so far failed.”

Labour lead the Conservatives in every age category besides 65+, and there has so far been no attempt by the government to win over any voters that aren’t pensioners, implying an election strategy that is more ‘damage limitation’ than a pitch to the country that they deserve to govern for a further five years.”