Most older voters would not consider voting for Jeremy Corbyn, poll shows

Just a quarter of older people would consider supporting Labour at the next election, a new poll has found.

Research by Opinium for the Social Market Foundation, a non-partisan think tank, found that only 26 per cent of voters between 65 and 74 years old would vote for Jeremy Corbyn.

This figure is just a 1 per cent increase in terms of the number of older voters who opted for Mr Corbyn in June, as reported by The Guardian.

The figures come as Mr Corbyn enjoyed a large turn-out at a Glastonbury-style political rally on the eve of the Labour conference in Brighton.

Reports claimed there were groups of young people dancing, and the leader walked out onto the stage to the theme music of the Fresh Prince of Bel Air.

His potential support among 18 to 24-year-olds is 63 per cent, the same poll found, constituting a much larger gap than the 53 per cent who voted for him in June.

For 25 to 34-year-olds the percentage is the same, but has risen from 49 per cent three months ago.

The lack of solid support among older voters is worrying Labour strategists, who discovered that the party lost in June as the Tories outpolled Labour by more than two to one among older voters.

Despite Labour’s attempts to woo this segment, such as pledging to maintain the winter fuel payments and the triple lock on pensions, 54 per cent of older voters said Labour was a party for the young.

Mr Corbyn was questioned on the Andrew Marr show as to how he would get more votes, given that he needed to win back 60 seats. He replied he had been to 50 of those seats since the election already.

Mr Marr also pressed the Labour leader on concerns from his detractors who do not believe Mr Corbyn can lead a market-driven economy or be trusted with public finances.

Mr Corbyn replied: "We live in a mixed economy, and we would increase the public participation in that economy in order to shore up investment and ensure proper investment across the country." He argued that by raising taxes for the wealthy and corporations, and investing in the country, those measures would "produce returns" and improve the economy.

On the eve of the conference, Opinium found that the Tories are just two points ahead of Labour at 42 per cent versus 40 per cent. The data will be presented at a fringe event at the conference on Monday.