Voter Priorities Continue to Evolve as Immigration Surges and Faith in Government Declines

Our latest polling highlights a UK electorate still deeply concerned about economic hardship, mounting healthcare pressures and immigration. While the top three voter concerns remain unchanged, subtle but telling shifts in issue salience point to how recent events, particularly Labour’s controversial shift in immigration rhetoric are shaping political sentiment. Meanwhile, public confidence in the current government continues to erode, adding to a climate of widespread political dissatisfaction.

The Economy Holds Firm as Immigration Jumps

The economy remains the dominant issue for voters, cited by 60% of respondents as one of their top three concerns, up slightly from 59% in the last survey. This marginal rise reflects the enduring importance of inflation, wages and the cost of living in voters’ minds. The issue cuts across all political groups and age ranges but concern is highest among 25–34-year-olds (68%) and 55–64s (61%), two groups grappling with both immediate financial pressures and long-term economic uncertainty.

Concern over Healthcare remains the same at 46%, underscoring continued unease around NHS waiting times, staff shortages and service accessibility. This issue is particularly pronounced among women (51%) and older demographics, notably those aged 55–64 (53%).

The most significant shift comes on immigration, now named by 49% of voters, a three-point increase since the last poll. This follows Keir Starmer’s controversial warning that the UK risks becoming “an island of strangers”. Immigration is now the top concern for 82% of Reform UK supporters and a majority of older voters (58% of 65+). Yet it also resonates among younger demographics, with 39% of 18–24-year-olds listing it as a priority, suggesting a broader national conversation that crosses traditional generational lines.

Housing, Crime and the Environment

Beyond the top three, housing continues to be a notable concern for younger voters. It is selected by 25% overall, virtually unchanged from 26% in the last poll and peaks among 25–34s (35%), where high rents and limited access to homeownership remain a key concern.

Crime and policing maintain a stable position at 22% (up from 21%), while concern for the environment has slipped to 14%, down from 17%. Environmental issues continue to carry more weight among Green Party supporters (31%) but they appear to have lost some urgency in the broader electorate amid competing economic and migration concerns. Meanwhile, Pensions (13%), benefits (17%) and education (11%) all remain relatively flat.

Government Competence: Public Trust in Freefall

Alongside shifting issue priorities, the electorate’s view of the government continues to deteriorate. Just 20% of respondents now describe the government as “competent,” down from 22% in the previous wave. More strikingly, 52% now label it “incompetent”, a sharp increase of nine points, marking a significant hardening of negative sentiment.

Even among 2024 Labour voters, only 37% still describe the government as competent, while 36% now call it incompetent. Unsurprisingly, Reform UK supporters have the lowest confidence levels with 81% saying the government is incompetent and only 7% saying they are.

The number of voters who say the government is “neither competent nor incompetent” has dipped to 20%, from 24% last month. Meanwhile, the share of undecided respondents has dropped to 8%, suggesting fewer voters are reserving judgment and more are decisively rejecting the government’s performance.

The economy continues to dominate political debate but the latest poll reveals an electorate growing more unsettled by the immigration debate and less trusting of those in power. Starmer’s pivot to tougher rhetoric on migration may have triggered backlash from within his own party but it has arguably brought the issue back to the forefront of voter concerns.

In this volatile landscape, Reform UK is uniquely positioned to capitalise. With public confidence in the government falling and the major parties struggling to offer coherent narratives on the issues that matter most, Farage’s insurgent campaign is benefiting from the disillusionment.

As economic anxiety endures, the NHS faces continued strain and immigration remains front and centre, the traditional parties face a steep challenge in winning back trust. Reform’s rise and the erosion of government credibility suggests that the electorate is still searching for answers and increasingly looking beyond the political mainstream to find them.

Download the data tables for this poll.