The Conservatives have their highest level of support since the 2024 general election, with the party now just two points behind Labour, according to a new poll which will be seen as a major boost to Kemi Badenoch, reports BritPanorama.
YouGov polling for The Times published on Tuesday shows nearly a quarter of voters (24 per cent) would now back the Tories—a two-per cent rise from last week and a significant improvement on the 17 to 19 per cent scores the party has averaged for much of the past year.
The poll suggests that 67 per cent of Tory voters from 2024 would vote for the party again, and it has also picked up 13 per cent of Liberal Democrat supporters from the last general election.
Moreover, Ms Badenoch’s party is increasingly appealing to young voters. Approximately 17 per cent of voters aged between 18 and 24 intend to support the Conservatives, surpassing the combined figures for the Liberal Democrats and Reform UK, according to the polling.
This marks YouGov’s first voting intentions poll since last week’s Budget, revealing Labour has dropped one point to 26 per cent. Still, this figure remains well above the 19 per cent level it had slumped to in the summer before Andy Burnham took office.
Meanwhile, the prospect of Nigel Farage’s Reform UK achieving significant electoral success appears to diminish further, as they remain in third place for the third consecutive week. Farage’s party was reported at 21 per cent, one point up from the previous week, yet this marks its lowest level since the last general election.
The Liberal Democrats and the Greens saw no movement in support, remaining at 11 and 10 per cent respectively. The poll results are favourable for Ms Badenoch, who previously stated that John Healey’s Budget was “all about an election.”
Following the Budget announcement, the Prime Minister categorically denied any plans to call another election within the next year.
Mr Burnham stated: “I don’t know how many times I’ve done this now, but yes, I can rule out calling a general election in the next 12 months.”
However, during an appearance on Good Morning Britain on Thursday, Ms Badenoch expressed disbelief in the Prime Minister’s assurance regarding not calling an election in the coming year, suggesting that preparations might be underway for one much sooner.
She remarked, “I actually think that they were preparing for one much sooner.”
In response, the Leader of the Opposition added, “I think Andy Burnham, like many politicians, just thinks about elections, doesn’t actually know how to run the country – and that is a worry.”
