HEADLINE STORY

First post-election date poll: Labour leads Conservatives by 17 points

Labour leader Keir Starmer speaks to supporters during the launch of the Scottish Labour general election campaign in Glasgow on Friday. (Photo: Getty Images)

By: Vivek Mishra

The Labour Party has a 17-point lead over prime minister Rishi Sunak’s Conservative Party in the first poll since the July 4 election date was announced.

The poll was conducted by More in Common, a member of the British Polling Council.

The poll surveyed just over 2,000 people and showed 44 per cent support for Labour, 27 per cent for the Conservatives, 10 per cent for the right-wing Reform UK party, and 9 per cent for the centrist Liberal Democrats, reported Reuters. The Green Party had 5 per cent support.

The results are similar to other recent polls.

A previous poll by More in Common from May 17-19 showed Labour with a 16-point lead.

More in Common was established after the 2016 murder of British lawmaker Jo Cox.

The right-wing Tories, in power since 2010, have consistently trailed the main opposition Labour Party in opinion polls for two years.

UK political parties began their election campaigns on Thursday. Sunak announced general election dates on Wednesday.

Sunak and rival Keir Starmer are seeking to seize the early initiative by meeting voters and delivering the messages they hope will earn them enough seats in parliament to form a majority government on July 5.

YouGov predicted in April that Labour would win 403 seats, with the Tories expected to win 155.

At the 2019 election, the Tories won 365 seats and Labour won 202. Since then, resignations, expulsions and other events have reduced the Tory majority. Going into the 2024 election, the Tories have 344 seats and Labour have 205.

(Agencies)