Andy Burnham is being urged to adopt an \u201ceconomic populist\u201d approach to combating the cost of living crisis if he becomes prime minister, as a detailed opinion poll shows radical policies could help Labour to retain its majority at the next election.<\/p>\n
Senior figures advising the Makerfield MP have been circulating a seat-by-seat poll showing Labour\u2019s majority could be demolished at the next general election with the party on course to win fewer than 100 seats.<\/p>\n
However, the bumper survey findings \u2013 based on polling of about 10,000 voters \u2013 show that if whoever succeeds Keir Starmer adopts radical policy measures, including rent controls and higher taxes on wealth, they could engineer a dramatic turnaround against Nigel Farage\u2019s Reform UK in important battleground seats across the country.<\/p>\n
The Persuasion UK research shows Labour running on a platform of \u201ccost of living populism\u201d could help it to win 34% of the national vote and 358 seats \u2013 a majority of 66.<\/p>\n
However, the experimental poll \u2013 carried out using the multi-level regression and poststratification (MRP) technique \u2013 suggests that sticking to its current trajectory it could send the party slumping to its lowest number of MPs since 1918, with just 95 seats in parliament from 19% of the total vote share.<\/p>\n
The ideas road-tested in the poll included: introducing an emergency brake on landlords raising rents while the state builds and buys more social homes; an affordable energy guarantee; cheap bus fares; an expansion in free school meals to all primary-age children; and raising the rate of tax on investors\u2019 profits to the same rate as workers\u2019 wages.<\/p>\n
Burnham is facing a barrage of competing demands<\/a> from Labour MPs, union leaders, political advisers and business lobbyists over his policy agenda.<\/p>\n While he has pledged to stick to Labour\u2019s manifesto, it is widely expected he will look at areas where the party could be bolder after his stronger than anticipated victory against Reform in Makerfield<\/a>.<\/p>\n