Why it matters: The findings suggest economic concerns have overtaken immigration and NHS pressures as the primary driver of voter sentiment in the region, as residents continue to worry about the cost of their weekly food shop.
The details: The MRP poll, conducted by communications firm PLMR and Electoral Calculus as part of their quarterly Road to 2029 research, found that 60% of East of England voters ranked the economy and cost of living as their top priority for the government to address.
This is higher than the proportion who identified immigration as a main concern (49%) and the NHS (42%).
The bigger picture: The polling also revealed that Reform UK is predicted to win almost every seat across the East of England if an election were held tomorrow.
The party is forecast to secure 36% of the vote nationally, ahead of Labour at 21% and the Conservatives at 15%. This would give Reform 445 seats in Parliament, enough to form a majority without a coalition.
In the East of England specifically, Reform would win all seats apart from Norwich South, which would remain Labour, whilst St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire and Cambridgeshire South would be won by the Liberal Democrats, according to the polling.
However, emerging tactical voting trends could significantly alter these predictions, with 78 seats potentially flipping if voters coordinate. Over a third of Labour voters said they would back the Conservatives to block Reform, whilst Green and Your Party voters indicated they would shift to Labour to avoid splitting the progressive vote.
What they're saying: Tim Miller, managing director of PLMR Genesis, the East of England division of 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."
OpinionThere 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. 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."
He added: "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."
The bottom line: With the Autumn Budget approaching, the polling data indicates East of England voters want to see tangible government action on the cost of living crisis rather than just policy announcements.
