Across a clutch of social issues, people in Red Wall constituencies think the same way as the rest of the British public - and, contrary to some claims, they are more socially liberal than socially conservative
Red Wall residents are, however, somewhat more pro-Brexit than the nation as a whole - but like all Britons, they are very split on how well Brexit is being handled
When it comes to Keir Starmer, Red Wall residents see him as doing a better job than Jeremy Corbyn, although the Labour leader still has some way to go in appealing to people there
🧵/ In Feb, Suella Braverman sparked debate with a column entitled "I will never be truly English", one which her boss Rishi Sunak branded "slightly ridiculous"
Now a new YouGov survey looks at how white and ethnic minority adults in England see English and British identity
Ethnic minority adults in England who were born in the UK are more likely than their white counterparts to say they feel a greater British than English identity
Ethnic minority adults in England, born in UK
Feel more English: 10%
Equally Eng/Brit: 29%
Feel more British: 43%
White adults in England, born in UK
Feel more English: 24%
Equally Eng/Brit: 50%
Feel more British: 19%
18% of Britons say they are likely to consider voting for a new left-wing party led by Jeremy Corbyn
However, this is less than would consider voting for the existing major parties and has caveats... 🧵
Just 32% of those who would consider voting for a Corbyn-led party say it is the party they are most likely to consider voting for, including only 9% saying it is the only party they would consider voting for (of the main national parties)
Top 5 reasons that 26% of 2024 Conservatives have defected to Reform UK in the year since the 2024 election
1. Trust them more on immigration: 56% 2. All other parties are worse: 41% 3. Better at standing up for people like me: 36% 4. Closer to my values: 25% 5. Better placed to win next election: 24%
Compared to those sticking with the party, Conservative defectors to Reform UK are more likely to be men (58% vs 44%), more likely to have voted Leave (80% vs 61%) and are older (83% are over 50 vs 75%)
While Conservative losses to Reform UK are more likely than loyalists to see immigration as a top issue facing the country (88% vs 64%), the two groups do not otherwise differ hugely on what are currently the most pressing problems in the UK