The general election will be a cost-of-living election. But ask most voters what any of the major parties are going to do to help them and their families deal with the cost of living and they can’t name a single policy.
New polling for 38 Degrees, the people-powered campaign group I lead, asked more than 2,000 voters to name something each party had said they would do to help them get through the cost-of-living crisis.
Nearly seven out of ten (69%) couldn’t name a single Labour Party policy, notably similar to the figure for the Conservatives (72%).
That’s a problem for the Conservatives, who are blamed for the state people find themselves in. But it’s a problem for Labour too, as they seek to build the momentum needed to sustain the party in – if the polls are right – a turbulent first year in office.
The news isn’t all bad for Labour – far from it. Of all the main parties, it’s the one most voters believe can tackle the cost-of-living crisis: 35% (more than for any other party) say it’s the party they “trust most” with the crisis, while almost half (47%) think the party does “have a plan” to deal with it (that figure is just 33% for the Conservative Party).
Keir Starmer is the leader voters are most likely to say “understand[s] the challenges facing families currently struggling with the cost-of-living crisis”. 44% of voters think he gets it. Rishi Sunak and Ed Davey lag behind at 26% and 25% respectively.
So what’s the problem? Labour is miles ahead in the polls – is a clearer offer needed?
Voters want to know what Labour would do on the cost of living
Firstly, we live in volatile times. It is a mistake to assume that the polls of today represent a prediction about the future. Clearer, understandable policies offer an anchor for those moments ahead where things get choppy for the party.
Secondly, election day is not the end of a battle for public opinion. Being clear now, winning a mandate and then actioning the plan will be vital for sustaining Labour through a turbulent period in government.
On Thursday, the party set out its “first steps” for change, but when it comes to the cost of living, voters aren’t sure what the next steps will be, and they want to know.
Now is the time to show voters Labour’s hand of solutions to the crisis hitting them so hard every day – when they’re struggling to keep the lights on, when their kids are going to bed hungry and when the cost of living a little is too much. If they don’t, there’s no guarantee that trust will be maintained.
We’re urging all parties to deliver fair, sustainable plans
38 Degrees is an independent campaign group when it comes to the election, but we’re not independent about the cost-of-living crisis. Our supporters number almost a million people, with more than 1,000 backers in every single UK constituency.
Their message to us – and to politicians of all parties – is that they want action on the cost of living. That’s why we’re spending the run-up to the general election telling all parties to take the cost-of-living crisis seriously and deliver fair, sustainable plans.
Our supporters are normal, busy people, outside of the Westminster bubble, who care about politics because they see the impact it has on them and their loved ones. They regularly take five minutes out of their busy lives to try and make a better Britain for all of us: they sign petitions, write to their MPs, chip in for actions to raise the profile of the issues they care about.
What they – as well as the many polls, focus groups and other public research we’ve commissioned – tell us is that the cost of living is the single biggest issue that will determine who they vote for. But no party has communicated a believable offer that they understand, yet.
There is widespread support for a range of clear, low-cost policies
It’s not an impossible task: our research also found widespread public support for a range of simple, clear, low-cost policies. Policies that voters can understand, that move money from those taking advantage of the crisis to those struggling the most with it. Measures like a social tariff for energy bills (supported by 73% of voters), free school meals for all primary school kids (70%) or guaranteeing Universal Credit covers essential food and bills (69%).
These are policies that are ambitious but achievable – and, crucially, the public backing is there for a range of ways to fund them. Voters back tougher windfall taxes on big companies, like energy giants (65%) or supermarkets (57%), or higher income taxes for earnings over £125,140 (59% support) .
Many of these policies are already on Labour’s radar – but it’s time to commit to them. Take the move to prevent rents being hiked faster than inflation or local wage growth, suggested by Stephen Cowan in a Labour-commissioned report. Our poll found 69% of voters say they support this measure. It even wins over 65% of 2019 Conservative voters. Noises coming from the party are cautious – but a popular move like this should be a no-brainer.
The next general election is a chance for change – change to make sure children aren’t going to bed hungry and cold, where people aren’t worried about keeping a roof over their heads, where we can all get back to living a little.
Any party that hopes to lead this country must convince voters it has a real plan to make this change happen or risk suffering at the ballot box. So far, no party, including Labour, has made that case – but there is still time.
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