Andy Burnham is being urged to execute a "rural reset" as new YouGov polling reveals Labour could lose 79 countryside seats at the next election. The Countryside Alliance (CA) says the party must end its "war on the countryside" if it hopes to win a majority.
Poll predicts coalition
YouGov found Labour could lose more than 100 seats if an election was called today, potentially forcing the party into a coalition. Campaigners have seized on the polling, demanding Labour urgently reconsider its approach to rural England.
Mr Burnham has promised "good growth in every postcode," but the CA says this must include the one in four postcodes that are rural.
Countryside Alliance demands action
Mo Metcalf-Fisher, of the CA, told the Express: "The case for a rural reset couldn't be more obvious. Rural people are being clobbered by a range of damaging policies, from the family farm tax, hikes to National Insurance and attacks on racing, shooting and trail hunting, all of which are completely out of sync with the priorities of voters."
"These stark findings should hammer home the urgent need for the Government to start legislating for rural people, not against them, while there is still time."
Seat projections
Analysis by the group suggests that some 79 of the 135 rural seats held by Labour could be lost at the next General Election. A poll by YouGov found Labour could lose 162 seats, suggesting that a change of leader has not turned the party's fortunes around.
Campaigners warn that Labour should use the poll as a wake-up call, saying its electoral future depends on rural England.
The survey findings could be welcome news in Tory HQ, as they show Kemi Badenoch would lead the country's second-biggest party, knocking Nigel Farage into third place.
Coalition scenarios
Labour would need to rely on the backing of the Liberal Democrats and the Green Party to keep the keys to No 10. Failing that, they would need a deal with Plaid Cymru, the SNP and a collection of smaller parties.
The stark data breaks results down seat by seat – creating a headache for Tory defectors Robert Jenrick and Suella Braverman. Having left the Tories for Reform UK earlier this year, the pair are predicted to lose their seats to their old party.
New data also reveals that even with a pact stitched up after polling day, neither Reform nor the Tories would be able to form a majority, even when allied. Labour would face a bloodbath, collapsing from 403 seats and losing 162 as Mr Burnham's polling "bounce" fails to mean they can stay in power alone.
Such a deal would likely mean Mr Burnham would need to compromise with a party whose policies include legalising cocaine.
The poll, one of the most comprehensive conducted since the election, marks a low point for Reform when compared with other data which normally had them ahead. A similar poll by the same firm last year showed Reform UK on 311 seats and therefore able to form a government. Labour was approached for comment.
