• New MRP polling data reveals the economy and rising cost of living is most important issue for East of England voters ahead of Autumn Budget
• Reform predicted to win vast majority of seats in East of England and could walk into Number 10 without a coalition if election held today
• But tactical voting and collaboration of left and right could see Reform lose dozens of seats

A new MRP poll of East of England voters has identified the economy and the cost of living as the top priority for the Government to address in the upcoming Autumn budget with 60% of voters demanding action.

This is higher than the number of voters who ranked immigration as a main concern (49%) and the NHS (42%), as voters continue to be worried by the cost of their weekly food shop.

The poll, part of the quarterly Road to 2029 research run by communications firm PLMR and Electoral Calculus, also shows if an election were held tomorrow Reform would win almost every seat across the East of England apart from Norwich South, which would remain Labour, whilst both St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire and Cambridgeshire South would be won by the Liberal Democrats.

At a national level, Reform are predicted to secure 36% of the vote, ahead of Labour at 21% and the Conservatives at just 15%. This would hand Farage 445 seats in Parliament which means he could form a majority without the need for any collation.

However, emerging trends for tactical voting could stop Farage in his tracks, as a massive 78 seats could flip if voters co-ordinate.

Over a third of Labour voters saying they would back the Tories to block Reform. Green and Your Party voters say they would also shift to vote Labour to avoid splitting the progressive vote.

Tim Miller, Managing Director of PLMR Genesis, the East of England team for PLMR, said: “The message from voters in the East of England to Labour is loud and clear. They want to see the government tackling the cost of living crisis and bringing down their weekly food shop. Concerns around the NHS and immigration are also high and there’s a clear sense that voters don’t want to just hear policies from the government, they want to feel real change.

“This mood is reflected in the wider polling data. It’s remarkable to see, if an election were held tomorrow, the indication is Reform would completely dominate the East of England political map. This speaks to a wider frustration from voters towards the mainstream parties.

“However, there is still a long way to go until the next general election and more than enough time for Labour to turn this around. Labour must focus on demonstrating to voters in the region they have credible, practical plans to solve the issues they care about most and, importantly, show that they are delivering on these promises.”

Martin Baxter, founder of Electoral Calculus, said: “This poll underscores just how volatile the political landscape has become. There are two big changes at the moment, but they point in different directions. Anti-Reform tactical voting means Reform’s poll lead isn’t as good as it looks, as the party could lose dozens of seats because many voters will vote for any candidate without a light-blue rosette. However, the emergence of ‘Your Party’ further fragments the left-of-centre vote, and makes things easier for Reform UK and harder for Labour.

“Ahead of the Autumn Budget coming in November, voters are making their priorities clear, placing the economy, immigration and the NHS at the top of the agenda. Labour now faces a fight for votes, and their ability to act decisively and deliver on these priorities will determine whether the party can defend its leadership or risk falling further behind as Reform seeks to solidify its gains.”

For a full breakdown and analysis of the results visit www.plmr.co.uk/theroadto2029.