Voters in Britain’s coastal towns have abandoned the Tories in favour of the Labour Party, a new poll has revealed.
Research by YouGov and the Fabian Society revealed that support for the Conservatives in seaside constituencies has collapsed since the last election.
In 2019, when Boris Johnson won an 80-seat majority, 51% of voters in so-called “sea wall” seats supported the Tories, with just 29% backing Labour.
But according to the new poll, support for the Conservatives has slumped by a staggering 19 points to 32% since then, with Labour now ahead of them on 38%.
The poll also found that 55% thought the Conservatives did not understand people in their area, compared to just 23% who think they do.
And 52% believe the Tories do not share their values, with only 28% believing who do.
The findings are a bitter blow for Rishi Sunak, and show the challenge he faces in trying to turn around his party’s fortunes before the next election.
Ben Cooper, the Fabian Society’s senior researcher said: “The tide has turned in the Tory-dominated ‘sea wall’.
“A majority of voters in coastal towns believe the Conservative Party does not understand people in their local area nor share their values.
“Labour is now on the path towards a broad national mandate at the next election. Coastal towns are often overlooked, but they will be a key part of Labour’s election-winning coalition.”
However, he also warned that it wasn’t “all plain sailing” for Keir Starmer.
“Labour still has to work hard to secure the votes of key coastal towns at the next election,” he said.
“Labour needs a unifying, ‘one nation’ platform and must address specific concerns in coastal towns. The good news is, it can do that without losing ground in other marginal seats across the country.”
The findings followed a separate poll which predicted Labour is on course for a 314-seat majority at the next election, which is expected in 2024.