PLMR’s latest polling highlights just how sharply the cost of living is reshaping Britain’s political landscape, with food prices and energy bills now the dominant drivers of voter behaviour.
More than half of voters cite these two pressures as a top priority influencing their vote, cutting across traditional party divides and outweighing other concerns such as taxation, housing costs and wages.
The Prime Minister appears to be reflecting the sentiment in this polling by starting 2026 with a series of media interactions around tackling the cost of living.
This focus on everyday essentials helps explain the continued fragmentation of voting intention, which has been a theme of opinion polling throughout 2025 and looks to continue into the new year. Reform UK emerges as the largest party on 31 percent of the vote, while support for the Conservatives, Labour and the Liberal Democrats remains comparatively subdued. On the progressive side, the Greens outpoll Labour, underscoring how volatile and fluid voter loyalties have become.
The data suggests an electorate increasingly willing to abandon long-held allegiances where parties are perceived to be failing on affordability.
For political parties, the message from this polling should focus minds. Voters are responding to tangible outcomes rather than promises or ideological clarity. Practical action on energy bills, food prices and household affordability will be critical to rebuilding credibility for the traditional parties. Clearly, there is frustration with the status quo.
Overall, PLMR’s latest polling points to a political system under strain, where economic insecurity is accelerating voter volatility.
For more information or to discuss the findings of PLMR’s polling, please contact Niamh.Mercer@plmr.co.uk
55%
of voters said energy bills are a top priority
Reform UK is projected to earn
398
seats without tactical voting
55%
of voters said the cost of food is a top priority
31%
of voters think taxation is a top priority
Labour is projected to earn
41
seats with tactical voting
27%
of voters said rent and housing costs are a top priority
