A recent survey by the Institute for Jewish Policy Research (JPR) reveals that more British Jews are planning to vote Labour than Conservative in the upcoming general
election on July 4th.
The largest-ever survey of Jewish voting intentions conducted by the JPR indicates that 46% of British Jews intend to vote Labour, compared to 30% who plan to vote Conservative. This significant shift in support marks a dramatic surge for Keir Starmer's Labour Party.
The survey, based on responses from 2,717 members of the JPR Research Panel to the 2024 Jewish Current Affairs Survey, appears to validate Starmer’s commitment to eradicating antisemitism from his party. Under Jeremy Corbyn's leadership, Jewish support for Labour had plummeted to less than 11% in the 2019 General Election.
Mike Katz, national chair of the Jewish Labour Movement, welcomed the survey results, stating, "This is a great poll for Labour – one that you would hardly think possible given the nadir of 2019. It underlines how far and fast we have changed as a party since then."
Dr. Jonathan Boyd, JPR Executive Director and co-author of the report, noted, "British Jews intend to vote very similarly to the UK population as a whole, and clearly favour the Labour Party over the Conservatives on the eve of the 2024 General Election."
The poll shows that 46% of Jews now support Labour, higher than the general population’s 42% support for Starmer’s party. Meanwhile, 30% of Jews support the Conservatives, compared to 22% nationally.
In the 2017 election, 67% of Jewish voters backed the Conservatives, while only 11% supported Labour, according to JPR data.
The survey also highlights that British Jews are more likely to vote for the major parties compared to the wider population. The poll shows 10% of British Jews supporting the Green Party (compared with 6% in the general population), 8% supporting the Liberal Democrats (11% nationally), 6% supporting Reform UK (15%), and less than 1% supporting SNP or Plaid Cymru (3%).
Data for the survey was gathered between June 16-20, 2024, and compared with previous JPR data collected annually during the current parliament.
The poll also reveals significant differences in voting intentions among Jewish denominations, with more traditional and orthodox sectors leaning Conservative, and progressive and unaffiliated sectors leaning Labour. Younger Jewish voters are more likely than their elders to prefer parties other than Labour, Conservative, or the Liberal Democrats.
Katz added, "Labour is once again a safe space for Jews. We urge everyone who thinks it’s time for change after 14 years of Conservative chaos to vote Labour next Thursday."
Dr. Boyd emphasized that the survey showed "significant distinctions among Jews when examined by denomination" but found no significant shift in political allegiances following the October 7 attacks in Israel and subsequent events.
The JPR 2024 Jewish Current Affairs Survey provides an essential platform for British Jews to share their experiences and opinions about how recent events have impacted Jewish life in the UK. The survey is the sixth conducted using the JPR Research Panel, initially launched during the Covid-19 pandemic to aid Jewish charities in navigating the crisis.
A separate poll conducted by Survation last week for the JC suggested the Conservatives would win 42% of the Jewish vote, down 22% since 2019, while Labour would win 33%, up 27%. The rise in Labour’s vote share within the community appears to come primarily at the expense of the Liberal Democrats. Photo by secretlondon123, Wikimedia commons.