Corbyn’s path to power at risk as low income voters turn away from Labour

Jeremy Corbyn’s route to Downing Street could be blocked by an apparent decline in support for Labour among the poorest voters.

A new study showed backing for Corbyn’s party among people on the lowest incomes was only around a third, despite Labour’s long history of standing up for Britain’s working classes.

The research, carried out by anti-poverty think tank the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, showed support for Labour among people in the lowest of five income groups was at 30 per cent while the Tories appeared to be moving closer on 23 per cent.

In what might prompt concern among many on the left, nearly a quarter (24 per cent) of low income voters said they did not support any party.

Just five per cent of the poorest people said they support the Liberal Democrats.

The findings also showed hard-up voters increasingly worried about money or debt. They came from a Joseph Rowntree analysis of the British Attitudes Survey 2016 which broke voters down into five income groups or quintiles.

Support for a political party among people on the lowest income quintile

Labour 30 per cent

Tories 23 per cent

Lib Dems 5 per cent

UKIP 4 per cent

Other 6 per cent

None 24 per cent

Don’t know/refused 9 per cent