Miliband delivering most among cabinet ministers, Labour members say in poll

Energy Secretary Ed Miliband has been ranked as the cabinet minister delivering the most in government by Labour members, according to an exclusive poll.

The LabourList poll, conducted by Survation, found that just under a third of members (29%) thought the former party leader was achieving the most amongst his cabinet colleagues, followed by Health Secretary Wes Streeting (18%) and Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson (seven percent).

Prime Minister Keir Starmer was regarded as delivering the most by only three percent of those polled, with Chancellor Rachel Reeves securing less than one percent in the poll.

Some nine percent of members said no cabinet member had delivered the most, while ten percent were unsure.

Miliband ranked highest among every age demographic, among those who backed each of the candidates in the 2020 leadership election and across every region of Great Britain.

However, among members who thought the party is going in the right direction, Miliband was pushed into second by the Health Secretary, who secured the backing of 30% – compared to ten percent for the former Labour leader.

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero has been approached for comment.

LabourList editor Emma Burnell said: “This is the first time we have asked this question on ‘delivery in government’, however, Miliband consistently tops the poll of favoured cabinet members among members.

“Ed clearly commands a lot of affection from members. But he is also seen as having – and delivering on – a clear and consistent vision for his department and its impact on the challenges facing the UK.”

The poll is the latest in a series of regular polls LabourList is publishing in partnership with leading pollsters Survation, a member of the British Polling Council and a Market Research Society Partner.

Survation surveyed 1,254 readers of LabourList, the leading dedicated newsletter and news and comment website for Labour supporters, who also said they were Labour Party members between September 23 and 25.

Data was weighted to the profile of party members by age, sex, region and 2020 Labour leadership vote, targets for which were derived from the British Election Study and the results of the 2020 leadership election.

Subscribe here to our daily newsletter roundup of Labour news, analysis and comment– and follow us on Bluesky, WhatsApp, X and Facebook.

Share your thoughts. Contribute on this story or tell your own by writing to our Editor. The best letters every week will be published on the site. Find out how to get your letter published.

• • SHARE: If you have anything to share that we should be looking into or publishing about this story – or any other topic involving Labour– contact us (strictly anonymously if you wish) at [email protected].
  • SUBSCRIBE: Sign up to LabourList’s morning email here for the best briefing on everything Labour, every weekday morning.
  • DONATE: If you value our work, please chip in a few pounds a week and become one of our supporters, helping sustain and expand our coverage.
  • PARTNER: If you or your organisation might be interested in partnering with us on sponsored events or projects, email [email protected].
  • ADVERTISE: If your organisation would like to advertise or run sponsored pieces on LabourList‘s daily newsletter or website, contact our exclusive ad partners Total Politics at [email protected].