Labour’s green industrial revolution popular in ‘Red Wall’ seats, poll finds

Labour’s plan for a ‘green industrial revolution’ is popular in Labour-held marginal seats described as forming the ‘Red Wall’ across the Midlands and the North of England, a new poll by Survation has found.

The research, commissioned by the New Economics Foundation, found that at least two-thirds of voters in 45 Labour marginals would consider climate change to be important when considering their vote.

More than half of people polled in each area supported government intervention to create green jobs, with 34% of voters saying they would be more likely to back a party promising green jobs in their constituency.

Commenting on the research, Labour for a Green New Deal co-founder Angus Satow said: “This polling confirms it: the public are crying out for bold government action on the climate crisis. Labour’s green industrial revolution will bring back investment and good jobs to parts of the country too abandoned for far too long.

“Voters across the Midlands and North face a clear choice between a Conservative Party who won’t lift a finger for our communities, or a Labour government which will put us at the heart of Britain’s fourth industrial revolution.”

The poll revealed that the highest proportion of people who would support a party pledging to create green jobs in their constituency was in the North West at 40%, followed by the East Midlands and the North East with 38%, and the West Midlands on 37%.

The poll also showed that the issue cuts across the Brexit divide, with 55% of Leavers and 72% of Remainers saying they would support government intervention to provide new green industry jobs.

Both groups consider climate to be a key issue in the upcoming election. 63% of Leave voters and 82% of those who voted Remain said the climate was an important issue in deciding which party to vote for.

Labour for a Green New Deal spokesperson Lauren Townsend said: “The truth is that the rapid decarbonisation envisioned in Labour’s green industrial revolution isn’t just a necessity for our planet, it’s good economic sense too.

“From extreme heatwaves crippling our railway network to flooding devastating whole regions of our country, it’s clear that every year we delay means more costs and devastation later on. We simply can’t afford the Tories’ plan to kick this thirty years down the road.

“Labour has developed ambitious, credible and fully-costed plans to tackle the climate crisis by 2030 while building a more prosperous economy for the many by insulating 27 million homes, revolutionising our public transport system and creating a million green jobs. Labour’s green new deal is needed for our economy, our planet and our future.”

Earlier this month, polling from YouGov suggested that 56% of people backed decarbonisation of the UK economy by the end of the next decade. Labour’s manifesto says it “aims to achieve the substantial majority of our emissions reductions by 2030”.

The new Survation polling comes ahead of the Channel 4 climate debate on Thursday night, in which all party leaders are invited to set out their plans for the environment. Boris Johnson is not planning to attend and is expected to be empty-chaired.