Voters believe Labour is doing worse than Tories on delivering pledges, poll finds

Voters believe Starmer’s Labour government is doing worse than the Conservatives at delivering on their promises, polling seen by LabourList has suggested.

The survey, commissioned by pressure group Unlock Democracy, found that 46 percent of people surveyed believe Labour is doing worse on delivering on its pledges than the previous Tory government – opposed to just 19 percent who think the party is doing better.

One in five Labour voters shared the view that the government was doing a worse job at delivering on promises than the last government, although almost half (45 percent) said Labour were doing better.

A third of voters (34 percent) also said they believed Starmer’s government is worse at behaving ethically than the Conservatives, with 31 percent believing they are no better than the last government and only a quarter (25 percent) thinking Labour is behaving better. More than half of Labour voters (53 percent) thought the government was performing more ethically.

READ MORE: What is behind Labour’s polling woes – and what can the party do to turn the tide?

Tom Brake, director of Unlock Democracy, said: “There is an opportunity here for the government to show clearly that it is different from its predecessor. At the moment, if the public perceives a difference, it is not in a good way.”

However, Labour MP for Bolton West Phil Brickell, who serves as a member on the APPG on anti-corruption and responsible tax, said: “We’re only five months into a new Labour government, which inherited an absolute mess from the Conservatives. What this polling shows is that we cannot afford to drag our heels on rebuilding trust in our politics.

“The damage done over the last 14 years has simply been too great, and that’s why measures to tackle corruption, to address the risks of foreign interference in our elections and clean up our politics are long overdue.”

READ MORE: Revealed: Two-thirds of voters back capping donations to political parties

It comes as Labour enters the new year with lacklustre polling numbers, with Reform UK’s surge presenting a headache for both major parties.

A More in Common MRP from late December indicated that several Labour cabinet ministers would be at risk of losing their seats if a snap election were called – including Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner and Home Secretary Yvette Cooper.

The Unlock Democracy survey also found that voters support capping political donations by more than four to one, with support for such a move consistent across the political divide.

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