LabourList readers aren’t expecting Labour to win Peterborough by-election

The results of our latest weekly survey reveal that LabourList readers aren’t expecting Labour to win the upcoming Peterborough by-election.

Asked about the outcome of this week’s election, over 59% of 6,321 readers surveyed over the weekend said they did not expect Labour to win (excluding ‘don’t know’ answers).

In total, over 40% of readers were pessimistic about Labour’s chances, almost 28% were positive and 32% were uncertain.

Those readers who identified themselves as Labour members were slightly more optimistic about the Peterborough result, but not by much. Only 30% of 7,650 members said they expected Labour to win.

On Thursday, voters in Peterborough will go to the polls to elect a new MP after successfully petitioning to sack their last representative, Fiona Onasanya, who was jailed for lying about a speeding offence.

The recent European elections saw Nigel Farage’s Brexit Party get 39% of the vote in Peterborough, a Leave-voting seat in 2016, with Labour far behind in second place on 17% and the Liberal Democrats a close third.

Further difficulties have arisen for Labour as it emerged over the weekend that local candidate Lisa Forbes liked a Facebook post earlier this year claiming Theresa May had a “Zionist Slave Masters agenda”.

Forbes has apologised for the social media activity “wholeheartedly”. But it was also highlighted she signed a letter last year opposing the adoption of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism by the Labour Party.

As a result, party-affiliated group the Jewish Labour Movement said they would not be campaigning in the by-election. “To do so would be inconsistent with the views of our members, who have understandably and clearly called for a culture of zero tolerance to antisemitism within the Labour Party,” JLM said.

Do you expect Labour to win the Peterborough by-election on Thursday?

Readers:

1. No – 40.3% (3,739)
2. Don’t know – 31.9% (2,965)
3. Yes – 27.8% (2,582)

Members:

1. No – 37.2% (2,848)
2. Don’t know – 32.8% (2,509)
3. Yes – 30% (2,293)

The survey was open from 11am on Sunday 2nd June until 6pm on Monday 3rd June. Thank you to all 9,286 readers who took part. Read the full results here.