Labour voters could turn their backs on Keir Starmer and opt to vote for other parties with a tougher view on crime as damning new polling has revealed a significant gap between current policing and public expectations.
Data from thinktank Policy Exchange shows Labour’s 2024 voters have a 17 per cent “Toughness Gap” – the difference between how tough they perceive police are currently versus how tough they want them to be.
The findings paint a concerning picture for Sir Keir Starmer’s party, with 28 per cent of Labour’s 2024 voters reporting they are “not at all confident” in the police’s ability to protect them from crime.
Labour voters also expressed deep dissatisfaction with police response to reported crimes, showing a net satisfaction rate of minus 26 per cent.
Starmer has been hit with the damning new poll
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The demand for tougher policing spans all demographic groups, with women showing an even higher Toughness Gap of 19 per cent compared to men’s 17 per cent.
Age plays a significant role, with the desire for tougher policing increasing from eight per cent among 18-24-year-olds to 26 per cent for those aged 65 and over.
The public’s priorities are clear, with 65 per cent wanting police to focus on murder and violent crime, and 56 per cent prioritising rape and sexual assault.
Only seven per cent consider online hate crime a priority, while just three per cent prioritise community outreach.
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Reform UK is the party with the most voters who are dissatisfied with policing
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Reform UK is emerging as the political home for voters most dissatisfied with current policing, showing the largest Toughness Gap of any party at 38 per cent
The party’s 2024 voters are the most sceptical about police protection, with 52 per cent saying they are “not at all confident” in law enforcement’s ability to keep them safe. This shift appears to be drawing support from former Conservative voters, as the Tories’ Toughness Gap decreased from 25 per cent to 18 per cent between 2019 and 2024.
Liberal Democrat and Green Party supporters also want firmer policing, with Toughness Gaps of nine per cent and 13 per cent respectively.
Labour MP for Pendle & Clitheroe Jonathan Hinder said: “As this timely report sets out, voters across the political spectrum, and across ethnicities, want much bolder action on crime.
“The Left has often been far too squeamish about policing, despite crime’s disproportionate effect on the working class communities we seek to represent. The new Labour government now has the opportunity to face down the vocal anti-police activists, back our officers to take back the streets, and reconnect with our working-class base in the process.”
Labour MP for Pendle & Clitheroe Jonathan Hinder said the left has been ‘Squeamish’ about policing
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These polling challenges come as Sir Keir Starmer faces fresh scrutiny over claims he met with a communications coach during strict Tier 4 restrictions in December 2020.
According to recent revelations, Starmer hired actress Leonie Mellinger to improve his speeches, meeting her at Labour headquarters on Christmas Eve 2020.
Conservative MP Richard Holden has demanded answers, calling for an independent investigation into whether the meeting breached Covid rules.
A Labour spokesman responded simply: “The rules were followed at all times.”