Conservative voters back Labour’s New Deal for Working People

2019 Conservative voters support most of the core policies underpinning Deputy Labour Leader Angela Rayner’s New Deal for Working People, including the introduction of a ‘right to switch off’ for employees (73% support), ending the practice of firms ‘firing and rehiring’ (68%) and banning exploitative zero hours contracts (65%).

The ‘right to switch off’ – where employers can’t contact employees out of office hours – is also the most popular of Labour’s New Deal policies among wider public, with seven in ten (69%) backing.

Most of the policy ideas polled enjoy large amounts of support, including increasing living wage (65%) and ending practice of fire and hire (62%).

Banning only ‘exploitative’ zero hours contracts is more popular (60%), then banning all zero hours contracts (49%).

Younger people were less likely to back action on zero hours contracts overall, with just 37% wanted to ban all contracts, and 48% wanting exploitative zero hours contracts banned.

Chris Hopkins, Political Research Director at Savanta said, “Simply put, our research suggests the public really likes many of the policies underpinning Labour’s New Deal for Working People. It’s unsurprising that Labour supporters back better workers’ rights, but the fact that Conservative voters do as well suggests a level of near universal support for the New Deal.”

Interestingly, there is a dose of realism among the public, with people more likely to support stopping only exploitative zero hours contacts rather than introducing a catch all ban. Our research implies the public thinks there is a balance to be struck between flexibility for workers and employers, and stopping bad practice.

More broadly, the public are much more likely to back better worker protections even if slows down economic growth (55%), in particular Labour voters (66%). The public is much less likely (27%) to say they would prioritise economic growth, even if it meant fewer protections, including Labour voters (48%).