Over 3 in 10 less likely to vote for Conservatives over leadership candidate out of touch views

EMBARGO: Immediate Release

New polling shows over 3 in 10 (35%) would be less likely to vote Conservative if their leader were someone who said they would vote for Trump 

Over 3 in 10 (35%) people also say that they would be less likely to vote Conservative if their leader said that maternity pay was ‘excessive’ 

Over 3 in 10 (35%) also said they would be less likely to vote for the Party if their leader had made a comment that trivialised drink-spiking 

3 in 10 (31%) Brits also said they would be less likely to vote Conservative if their new leader backed Liz Truss in the 2022 Conservative leadership race

New polling commissioned by the Liberal Democrats and carried out by Savanta has shown that some comments made by Conservative Party Leadership candidates would make over 3 in 10 people less likely to vote Conservative. 

When asked how likely they would be to vote for the Conservatives if the party leader had said they would vote for Donald Trump if they were an American citizen, 35% of Brits said they would. This comes after Conservative Leadership candidate Robert Jennrick said “If I were an American citizen, I would be voting for Donald Trump.” A similar proportion was also put off by Kemi Badenoch’s maternity pay comments (35%) and James Cleverly’s comments that trivialised drink spiking (35%).

Voters were also put off by any leadership candidate who previously gave their support to Liz Truss with 3 in 10 (31%) saying they would be less likely to vote for the party if their new leader had backed her 2022 campaign - James Cleverly endorsed Truss in that election. 

Commenting Liberal Democrat Cabinet Office Spokesperson Sarah Olney MP said: 

“Far from a serious leadership election, this group of chaotic Conservatives seem to be having the biggest unpopularity contest of the year.” 

"Each failed Minister standing for their party's leadership is grossly out of touch and has a tainted record of taking voters for granted.

“Former Conservative voters abandoned the party in massive numbers at the last election. In so many places across the country, people are backing the Liberal Democrats who are speaking up for them on the issues that matter most like saving our NHS, tackling the cost of living crisis and stopping the sewage scandal.” 

ENDS

Notes to Editors: 

Methodology: Savanta interviewed 2,003 UK adults aged 18+ online on 4th to 6th October 2024. Data were weighted to be representative of the UK by age, sex, region, and social grade 

Q1. Would you be more or less likely, if at all, to vote Conservative if their leader had said or done the following? Base: All respondents (n=2,003)

Less likely to vote for them

No change – I would have voted Conservative before and still would

No change – I wouldn’t have voted Conservative before and still wouldn’t

More likely to vote for them

Don’t know

NET: No change

Said they would vote for Donald Trump if they were an American citizen

35%

13%

30%

12%

10%

42%

Said that maternity pay is ‘excessive’

35%

14%

31%

9%

11%

45%

Made a comment that trivialised drink spiking  

35%

11%

31%

7%

16%

43%

Backed Liz Truss in the 2022 Conservative leadership race 

31%

13%

33%

7%

16%

46%

Robert Jenrick - In the Summer Robert Jenrick said “If I were an American citizen, I would be voting for Donald Trump”. During a Q&A event at the Conservative party Conference in Birmingham he refused to back away from these remarks saying it was “natural for a Conservative to lean towards Republican candidates”.

Kemi Badenoch - When doing a media interview at Conservative party conference, Kemi Badenoch said “Maternity pay varies, depending on who you work for - but statutory maternity pay is a function of tax, tax comes from people who are working. We’re taking from one group of people and giving to another. This, in my view, is excessive.”

James Cleverly - In December 2023, the Sunday Mirror reported that Mr Cleverly told female guests at a Number 10 event that “a little bit of Rohypnol in her drink every night” was “not really illegal if it’s only a little bit”.

James Cleverly supported Liz Truss’s campaign in summer 2022.