Exclusive: Seven in ten think Conservatives are 'unelectable', including four in ten who voted Tory at last election

10 August 2024, 08:31

By Henry Riley

@HenryRiley1

LBC has been given exclusive access to polling from the market research company Savanta, which paints a bleak picture for the Conservative Party.

The results suggest that seven in 10 British voters say that the Conservatives are currently "unelectable", with that number including a staggering four in ten (42%) who voted Conservatives at the recent July election.

19% of those surveyed said they felt the Conservatives were electable.

The figures come as the Tory party is engulfed in an protracted leadership election, due to conclude on the 2nd November.

Research from Savanta suggests a "huge gulf between the Conservative and Labour Party brands", which will make for sobering reading for James Cleverly, Robert Jenrick, Mel Stride, Kemi Badenoch, Dame Priti Patel and Tom Tugendhat - the six contenders vying to replace Rishi Sunak.

Chris Hopkins, the Political Research Director for Savanta said the figures were “not surprising”. 

He told LBC “for a party that is leaderless and directionless at the minute will feel unelectable, but it does go to show the uphill task a new leader and the party does have”

Some of the issues highlighted by potential voters include just 15% of those asked saying they felt the Conservative Party was united, compared with 54% who believe Labour are united.

Mel Stride, the Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary, who is standing to be leader said that the most important issue facing his party was “unity”.

He told LBC “we had a very poor election result, and there are some very deep lessons for us. Firstly we need to unite our party, and secondly we’ve got to regain that reputation for competence and delivery”

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Chris Hopkins from Savanta told LBC “there is going to likely be a battle for the soul of the Conservative Party over the coming months”

“Things can get really divisive, and a little bit nasty. It will ultimately be up to the winner to try and unite, but also the loser to be as magnanimous as possible and try and work with the new leader. Given some of the personalities standing you can see that potentially happening, but you can also see it not happening”

Though worrying for the Conservatives, the results do raise some question marks for the Labour Party with just one in three saying they thought the party "keep their promises", that figure was also just 17% for the Conservatives.

Whilst the public were split on whether Labour "stands up for people like me", with 43% saying they felt Sir Keir Starmer's party do, and 39% saying they don't.