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Will abandoning left-wing voters backfire for Keir Starmer?

Labour leader’s reluctance to differ from Tories on policy or Gaza sets stage for progressive independent candidates

Will abandoning left-wing voters backfire for Keir Starmer?
Keir Starmer has moved Labour to the right – leaving left-wing voters without a political home | Belinda Jiao/Getty Images
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Almost all of Britain’s pollsters agree: the Labour Party is heading for a massive victory in this year’s general election, while Rishi Sunak’s Tories are set for a historic defeat. But there is another, far less talked about shift underway, which could see a wave of independent left-wing MPs elected.

Most polling firms expect Labour to win a majority of more than a hundred seats. A ‘poll of polls’ by political forecasting website Electoral Calculus suggests the party is on course for a 200+ majority.

These polls could all be wrong, but little seems to shake them. There is some evidence, though, of another trend that is yet to be reflected in the polls: Keir Starmer’s unwillingness to set out any clear policy differences from the Conservatives may be backfiring.