A new Ipsos poll reveals limited appetite among the British public for formal electoral alliances between major parties, even as supporters of the parties involved show greater openness to the idea.
The survey, conducted online between 20-24 February, highlights deep scepticism toward pacts that could reshape the UK’s fragmented political landscape.
Overall, voters are more likely to oppose than support such arrangements. A proposed pact between the Conservatives and Reform UK fared particularly poorly, with just 18% in favour and 48% opposed.
A Labour-Liberal Democrats alliance drew 22% support against 39% opposition, while a broader progressive pact involving Labour, the Lib Dems, and the Greens performed only marginally better at 23% support and 38% opposition.
The findings come at a turbulent time in UK politics. Reform UK has surged in the polls, consistently leading or closely trailing Labour in recent voting intention surveys, while the Conservatives grapple with their diminished standing post-2024 election defeat.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Labour government faces ongoing challenges, with low approval ratings for both the party and its leader.
Party supporters more receptive
While the broader public remains cool on the idea, current supporters of the parties in question are notably more open – especially on the centre-left.
Among Labour voters, 52% back a pact with the Liberal Democrats, with only 20% opposed. Lib Dem supporters are similar, at 46% in favor and 24% against.
For the three-way progressive alliance, support stands at 49% among Labour backers and 44% among Greens, though Lib Dems are more divided (40% support, 26% oppose).
On the right, views are more mixed. Reform UK supporters back a Conservative alliance by 38% to 30% opposed, but Conservative voters lean against it (39% oppose, 31% support).
The poll suggests that while “party loyalists” see potential tactical benefits in cooperation, such as avoiding vote-splitting in key seats, the general electorate views pacts as compromising principles or undermining democratic choice.
Voting intentions and party perceptions
When asked about the likelihood of considering voting for each main party at the next general election, Reform UK led with 32% saying they were likely to vote for them. Labour stood at 28%, with Conservatives and Greens both at 27%. The Liberal Democrats trailed as the least likely choice.
However, a majority of Brits said they were unlikely to vote for any of the main parties, pointing to widespread disillusionment.
Party and leader likeability ratings remain low across the board. Reform UK and the Greens edged out others as relatively more liked, while Nigel Farage scored highest, though also most polarising, among leaders.
Keir Starmer and Farage were among the most disliked.
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