The Conservative Party has recorded its strongest level of support since the 2024 general election, narrowing the gap with Labour to just two percentage points in a new YouGov poll that offers a significant boost to opposition leader Kemi Badenoch.
The latest figures suggest the party is recovering support after spending much of the past year struggling to move beyond the high teens in voting intention.
The poll puts the Conservatives at 24%, following a two-point increase from the previous week. Labour Party remains ahead at 26% despite losing one point, while Reform UK occupies third position with 21%.
Conservative Support Rebounds as Voters Return
The Conservatives’ rise to 24% represents a marked improvement on the 17 to 19% support the party averaged for much of the previous year.
The poll suggests that the party is regaining some of its previous electoral base. Approximately 67% of people who voted Conservative in the 2024 general election indicated they would support the party again, indicating that a substantial proportion of its former supporters remain willing to return.
The Conservatives have also attracted 13% of voters who backed the Liberal Democrats at the last general election.
The figures are particularly significant for a party that has faced sustained pressure from Reform UK, led by Nigel Farage, as both parties compete for voters who previously supported the Conservatives. The latest polling position, however, places the Tories ahead of Reform UK for the third consecutive week.
Younger Voters Add to Badenoch’s Polling Gains
One of the notable findings in the latest survey is the Conservatives’ support among younger voters, a demographic that has often presented a challenge for the party.
According to the poll, 17% of voters aged between 18 and 24 intend to support the Conservatives. That places the party ahead of both the Liberal Democrats and Reform UK among this age group combined, suggesting a degree of appeal among younger voters that could broaden its electoral reach.
Although the survey does not establish which specific policies have influenced younger voters, the finding indicates that the Conservatives’ support is not limited to older or returning voters.
It also provides Kemi Badenoch with a potential opening to strengthen the party’s engagement with a demographic that remains important to its longer-term electoral prospects.
The wider political significance lies in whether the Conservatives can maintain this level of support among younger voters while consolidating gains among those who previously backed the party.
The Liberal Democrats recorded 11% in the overall poll, while the Green Party remained on 10%, with neither party registering a change from the previous survey.
Burnham Rules Out Early Election as Badenoch Remains Sceptical
The figures also provide the backdrop for an increasingly pointed exchange between Prime Minister, Andy Burnham and Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch over the government’s political priorities and the timing of the next general election.
Andy Burnham has sought to put speculation about an early election to rest, ruling out a national poll within the next 12 months. His assurance followed the Budget, which Kemi Badenoch had criticised as being politically motivated rather than focused on governing.
“I don’t know how many times I’ve done this now, but yes, I can rule out calling a general election in the next 12 months,” Burnham stated earlier.
The Conservative Leader, however, remained unconvinced, arguing that the government had been making preparations for an election much earlier than its public position suggested.
Kemi Badenoch noted, “I actually think that they were preparing for one much sooner.”
The opposition leader further questioned the Prime Minister’s focus, arguing that his attention was directed more towards electoral considerations than the practical demands of running the country.
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