04
The Activist Left
The Activist Left are one of our youngest segments: a large majority have a university degree, and they are the most likely to be in full-time work. Concentrated in cities and university towns, many live in safe Labour seats or in Conservative and Liberal Democrat marginals. They tend to have above average incomes, and they are the most likely group to be renters or mortgage-payers (rather than owning their home outright). They represent 18% of the electorate in England & Wales.
Overview
Who they are
What they think
The Activist Left are the most economically left-wing and socially liberal of our segments. On social issues, they favour increased migration, are the most likely to see tackling climate change as a personal responsibility and are the most likely to be embarrassed by Britain’s past. On economic issues, they think Britain is unequal, enthusiastically back redistribution, and are profoundly distrustful of business. More politically engaged than any other group, they are the most likely to consume their news on social media.
Who are they?
Concentrated in cities and university towns, many of the Activist Left live in safe Labour seats (though some live in Conservative / Liberal Democrat marginals too). They represent about 18% of the electorate in England and Wales. They are the largest voter segment in across much of London, Cardiff, Manchester and Leeds.
Where are they?
The Activist Left are the youngest of all our segments and the most likely to have a university education. More than half have a university degree and they tend to be in full-time work, with above average incomes.
What do they think?
The Activist Left are the most economically left-wing and socially liberal of our segments. On social issues, they favour increasing migration and believe in protecting the environment more than growing the economy. On economic issues, they think Britain is unequal, enthusiastically back redistribution, and are profoundly distrustful of business. Of all our segments, they are the most politically engaged and are most likely to consume news via social media.
What do they care about?
The Activist Left are the segment that is least concerned about immigration, with just 3% considering immigration a top four priority for the country. Instead, they are more than twice as likely as the average voter to prioritise climate change, the issue they most often cite (68%) as a priority. Despite earning an above-average salary, inflation and the cost of living is still among their most cited priorities (59%).
How would they vote?
No segment more vehemently opposed Brexit than the Activist Left, with nine in ten (89%) backing Remain. In 2019, the Activist Left were the only group to back Labour over the Conservatives: 70% voted Labour, while 5% voted Conservative. Now, Labour’s vote share among this group has remained steady (68%), 18% would vote Green, and 10% Lib Dem. The Labour Party’s transformation under Keir Starmer might have been expected to erode support amongst this core group of Labour voters. Instead, Labour’s vote share has been remained steady, or increased.