Exclusive: Poll reveals Labour leads in ‘Red Wall’ constituencies

The Labour Party has re-taken the lead in ‘Red Wall’ constituencies, according to an exclusive poll for Channel 4 News.

The survey, by research company J.L. Partners, suggests the Conservatives are struggling to hold on to the support they won in 2019.

Many cited confusing messaging over Covid, and Dominic Cummings’s trip to Barnard Castle.

If this were translated into votes, researchers estimate that Labour could win back 36 out of 45 seats they lost in the last election.

Voters said that confusing messaging over Covid was a major negative for Boris Johnson’s party.

Many also cited Dominic Cummings’s trip to Barnard Castle during lockdown as an important factor – feeding a sense there was one rule for the elite and another for ordinary people.

In the Red Wall, Boris Johnson has a negative rating of –3%, while Keir Starmer is on +18%. But Conservatives still fare better on certain issues, like the economy and defence.

Some voters (16% of 2019 Conservative voters) say they now do not know how they would vote in a General Election, while others (7%) are switching directly to Labour.

If there was an election today, polling suggests the Conservatives would only hold on to nine of the 45 seats they won in 2019 – all but wiping out their majority.

However, Chancellor Rishi Sunak has emerged as the most popular politician in Red Wall constituencies.