The Health Mandate is a major new report from Public First and IPPR, based on a nationally representative poll and in-depth focus groups in key electoral battlegrounds. It shows that the public’s concern about the nation’s health goes far beyond access to NHS services and deep into the social and economic pressures shaping everyday life.

Far from being resistant to action, voters are calling for bold, structural change. From improving housing standards and regulating junk food to investing in early years services and tackling poor working conditions, the public overwhelmingly backs visible government intervention to make healthy choices easier, more affordable, and more accessible.

Crucially, the report finds that support for this kind of action is strongest among the very voters who will decide the outcome of the next election, including 2019 Conservatives who have switched to Labour, and Labour 2024 voters now open to Reform. These groups are not anti-interventionist; they are demanding a level playing field and a government that visibly acts in their interests.

The research also explores how people understand health in everyday terms, connecting it to their ability to work, care for their families, and live independently. It offers clear recommendations for how policymakers can frame action in ways that resonate now, not just in the long term.

With a Spending Review and a new 10-Year Health Plan on the horizon, this is a moment of real opportunity. The Health Mandate sets out the political and moral case for action- and a roadmap for delivering it.