Starmer’s failure to demonstrate strong values ‘driving away progressive voters’

Progressive voters have been driven away from Labour by a lack of argument and vision from Keir Starmer, according to a report using research from a senior pollster to Tony Blair and Bill Clinton.

Downing Street is understood to have been briefed on the research, which has also been handed to allies of the potential leadership candidates Andy Burnham, Wes Streeting and Angela Rayner.

Labour is braced for dismal results in Thursday’s elections, which could result in Starmer facing a leadership challenge.

The report from UCL’s Policy Lab, using research from the eminent pollster Stan Greenberg, suggested voters felt that Starmer had a “discomfort” with progressive values. Key fights that the government could pick included a more robust challenge to Donald Trump and a more passionate defence of environmentalism.

Greenberg’s findings suggested the next election would be won by whoever can unite left and right “blocs” of voters. The polling suggested that would be achieved not only through delivery or policies, but through a clear articulation of core values.

Marc Stears, the director of the Policy Lab, said: “Keir Starmer came in on a wave of frustration with politics as usual and a promise of change. There is no hiding from the frustration voters feel with his time so far.

“Some of this can be put down to his personal style but this report suggests it is also due to his discomfort with progressive values. The party and politics that is able to tap more effectively into the core values of their potential supporters might do better in this newly polarised age.”

Examples given by the report’s authors include Starmer’s decision not to join the Iran war – which was welcomed by voters but which they said needed to be accompanied by a strong values statement about why the war was wrong, rather than technocratic explanations about illegality.

Policy Lab’s James Baggaley said there was widespread expectation that Starmer intended to use closer ties with the EU as a way of signalling a progressive turn. But he said that again would not be enough without a more explicit declaration of values. “Our research shows that progressive voters do want closer ties to the EU, but they’re also looking for much more radicalism on public services, taxation, climate and democracy,” he said.