Blow for Keir Starmer as young voters abandon Labour for 2 parties

Young voters are turning their backs on Labour in a fresh blow to Sir Keir Starmer as speculation grows that he might quit before the next election. While young people are less likely to vote than the elderly, those that do have traditionally been firmly behind the Labour Party.

But the youth of today are more likely to vote for the lefty Green Party, which is making a deliberate effort to show it has policies on other issues as well as the environment, or the Lib Dems, led by Sir Ed Davey. Dr Stuart Fox, from the University of Exeter, who led the research, said: “In the year since the election, Labour has gone from dominating the youth vote to being in a three-way race with the Greens and Lib Dems.”

People under 30 were asked how likely they are to vote for a party by giving a score out of ten, with seven or above meaning they might vote for them in an election. The survey found 25% might vote Labour but 30% might vote Green and 33% migtht vote Liberal Democrat.

Issues that may worry younger voters include the ongoing conflict in Gaza, which has led to protests on university campuses. Some of Sir Keir Starmer’s critics say he has been too supportive of Israel.

The Labour government has also increased student tuition fees.

Some well-known younger political activists who backed Labour when Jeremy Corbyn was leader have switched to supporting the Green Party. They include Matt Zarb-Cousin, who was Mr Corbyn’s press spokesman, and Grace Blakeley, an economist and columnist. Journalist and activist Owen Jones, who was a firm supporter of Labour when Mr Corbyn was leader, urged his one million Twitter or X followers to vote Green or for independent candidates.

The study also found that young people are unlikely to support Reform, even though party leader Nigel Farage has a large following on social media platforms such as Tik Tok. Only 13% suggested they might vote for Reform.

Dr Fox said: “Reform’s aggressive social media strategy targets younger audiences with short-form videos and populist messaging. But just because young people see Reform’s content doesn’t mean they’re buying into it.”

But he said: “That won’t worry the party. Their support is greatest – and exceeds that of both Labour and the Conservatives – among the age group that makes up over a third of the British electorate and is by far the most likely to vote on polling day.”

Sir Keir’s position as Labour leader and Prime Minister looks more precarious than ever after he abandoned plans to cut the number of people receiving disability benefits, after previous u-turns on winter fuel payments and a national inquiry into grooming gangs.

Bookmakers Ladbrokes this week cut the odds on Sir Keir being replaced as Labour leader before the end of 2025, down from 7/1 to 5/1.