Exploring Political Sentiment in Makerfield: An Immersive Study

In collaboration with The Times newspaper, Public First ran an immersive research study in the constituency of Makerfield where we spoke to residents ahead of the by-election. Our research study did not make any predictions on who would win the constituency, but rather looked to understand the attitudes of voters in a key political battleground by speaking to a representative sample of residents.

In our research, we found that while it is very much seen as a two-horse race between Reform and Labour, this has been complicated by the presence of Restore. Tactical voting is very much in play here, but this is taking place largely on the right. We also found that while Andy Burnham was significantly more popular as a brand than Labour, this is less pronounced than in central Manchester and he is vulnerable to accusations of using the contest as a stepping stone.

You can read the report here.

And find coverage in the Times here.