The Labour Party are now the most trusted political party on almost every major issue with voters, new polling has revealed.

For weeks now, Labour have been rising in the polls, overtaking and subsequently pulling clear of Reform.

But it’s not just in voting intention where Labour are the clear front-runners, as the party are now the most trusted on all but one major issue.

Polling from Survation this month shows that Labour are the most trusted party with voters on the environment, cost of living, the NHS, the economy, housing, energy, crime, education, defence, transport, pensions, jobs, foreign policy, welfare benefits and culture.

The only issue they are not most trusted on is immigration, where Reform are still the most trusted.

The results are a stark contrast to July shortly after Keir Starmer stepped down as prime minister. Then, it was only on the NHS, housing, education, transport, pensions, jobs and welfare benefits that Labour were most trusted.

The Greens were most trusted on the environment, the Tories were most trusted on the economy, defence and culture, whilst Reform were most trusted on the cost of living, energy, crime, immigration and foreign policy.

The most dramatic shift in trust came on education, where Labour saw a 13.3% increase. On the economy, there has been an almost ten-point swing from the Tories to Labour.

The polling shows just how remarkable the shift in Labour’s fortunes has been under Andy Burnham and how his messages are clearly cutting through with voters.

Labour saw a jump in support across a number of polls following Burnham’s conference speech.

Labour Now the Most Trusted Party on Nearly Every Major Issue as Reform Loses Ground

Labour has achieved a remarkable turnaround in public opinion after new polling revealed that the party is now the most trusted political force on almost every major issue facing Britain.

The findings represent a significant change in the political landscape under Andy Burnham, with Labour moving ahead of its rivals on issues ranging from the economy and the NHS to housing, education, crime and the cost of living.

For Nigel Farage’s Reform UK, the figures present a different picture.

After spending months attempting to establish itself as the party voters trust most to address Britain’s biggest problems, Reform is now leading on just one of the 16 issues examined: immigration.

The results will provide considerable encouragement for Labour, particularly after a difficult period in which the party faced widespread criticism and declining opinion poll figures.

However, the findings also raise an important question: can Labour turn growing public confidence into meaningful improvements in people’s everyday lives?

Labour Leads on 15 Out of 16 Major Issues

The latest Survation polling, published in October 2026, examined which political party voters trusted most to deal with 16 major policy areas.

The findings showed Labour leading on 15 of those issues.

These included:

• The environment.
• The cost of living.
• The NHS.
• The economy.
• Housing.
• Energy.
• Crime.
• Education.
• Defence.
• Transport.
• Pensions.
• Jobs.
• Foreign policy.
• Welfare benefits.
• Culture.

Reform UK was the only party to lead on immigration.

This represents a substantial change from July, when Labour was trusted most on just seven of the 16 issues.

At that time, the Conservatives led on the economy, defence and culture, while Reform was ahead on the cost of living, energy, crime, immigration and foreign policy.

The latest results therefore demonstrate a considerable shift in how voters view the two main political movements.

Labour has not simply improved its position in general voting intention polls. It has also strengthened its reputation across a much wider range of policy areas.

Reform’s Advantage Has Shrunk Dramatically

Perhaps the most significant development concerns Reform’s declining advantage on the issues where it previously performed strongly.

According to the polling analysis, Labour now leads Reform by an average of nine percentage points across the 16 policy areas.

In July, Reform had been ahead on five issues.

It now leads on just immigration.

Even there, its advantage has narrowed.

Reform’s lead on immigration has fallen from 12 percentage points in July to seven percentage points in the latest survey.

The economy has witnessed one of the most striking changes.

In July, Labour was one percentage point behind the Conservatives on economic trust.

The latest findings show Labour leading by approximately 10 points.

This represents a substantial change in public perceptions of which party is best equipped to manage Britain’s economy.

For Farage, the figures highlight the difficulty of maintaining a political identity based primarily on challenging the established parties.

Reform must now convince voters that it can offer credible solutions across the full range of government responsibilities.

Labour Makes Significant Gains on the Economy

The economy remains one of the most important issues influencing British voters.

For months, Reform and the Conservatives attempted to exploit dissatisfaction with Labour’s economic record.

Concerns about taxation, public spending, inflation and living standards created opportunities for opposition parties to attract support.

However, the latest Survation findings suggest that Labour’s position has improved considerably.

The party has moved from trailing the Conservatives to establishing a 10-point advantage on economic trust.

This does not necessarily mean that voters believe the government has solved Britain’s economic problems.

Rather, it indicates that more respondents now identify Labour as the party they trust most to address them.

That distinction is important.

Public confidence in a party’s ability to manage the economy is not the same as satisfaction with its actual economic performance.

Nevertheless, the improvement provides Labour with an opportunity to challenge the Conservatives and Reform on an issue that has traditionally been central to British elections.

The NHS Remains an Important Issue for Labour

Healthcare is another area where Labour has strengthened its position.

The NHS continues to be one of the most important concerns for voters, particularly as patients face pressure from waiting lists, staffing shortages and difficulties accessing services.

Labour’s stronger position on healthcare suggests that voters increasingly see the party as the most trusted option for addressing these challenges.

This is politically significant because the NHS has historically been closely associated with Labour’s identity.

The party has repeatedly promised to improve access to healthcare and strengthen public services.

However, public trust also brings greater responsibility.

If voters increasingly trust Labour to improve the NHS, they will expect tangible progress.

That means shorter waiting times, better access to GPs and improved conditions for healthcare workers.

A stronger polling position will only remain valuable if the government can demonstrate that its promises are being delivered.

Labour Also Moves Ahead on Education and Housing

Education and housing have also produced encouraging results for Labour.

The polling analysis identified education as the issue where Labour recorded its most dramatic improvement, with trust increasing by 13.3 percentage points.

Housing is another area where the party has maintained a strong position.

Britain continues to face significant housing challenges, particularly among younger people struggling to afford their first homes.

The shortage of affordable housing has become a major political issue, with voters increasingly demanding practical solutions.

Labour’s proposals on housebuilding and affordable accommodation have helped establish its position in the debate.

However, the government will need to demonstrate that it can turn those proposals into actual homes.

The same applies to education.

Improving school standards, addressing special educational needs and supporting teachers will require sustained investment and effective policies.

Immigration Remains Reform’s Strongest Issue

Despite its declining advantage across most policy areas, Reform continues to lead on immigration.

This remains one of the most politically sensitive subjects in Britain.

Farage has built much of his political identity around promising tighter immigration controls and a substantial change in the UK’s approach to border management.

The latest figures suggest that voters continue to trust Reform more than Labour on this particular issue.

Labour therefore faces a significant challenge.

If it wants to maintain its wider recovery, it will need to convince voters that it can manage immigration effectively while maintaining confidence in its approach to asylum and border security.

The fact that Reform remains ahead on immigration demonstrates that its political appeal has not disappeared.

Instead, the latest findings suggest that its strongest advantage is increasingly concentrated around one major policy area.

Andy Burnham’s Political Message Appears to Be Cutting Through

The improvement in Labour’s position has coincided with Andy Burnham’s recent political interventions.

His conference speech placed considerable emphasis on rebuilding public services, addressing economic inequality and improving living standards.

He also discussed the possibility of establishing a National Care Service.

The speech attracted considerable attention because it offered a broader political message about the role of government and the future direction of Labour.

The latest polling suggests that Labour’s message has gained traction among sections of the electorate.

However, it would be inaccurate to attribute the entire improvement to Burnham’s speech alone.

Changes in public opinion can reflect several factors, including opposition party performance, economic developments and changing voter priorities.

Nevertheless, the findings provide evidence that Labour’s political position has improved across multiple policy areas.

The Conservatives Face Their Own Questions

The latest results are also uncomfortable for Kemi Badenoch’s Conservative Party.

The Conservatives previously enjoyed stronger levels of public trust on several important issues, including the economy and defence.

However, Labour has now overtaken them on a much wider range of subjects.

This creates a challenge for Badenoch, who is attempting to rebuild the party following its historic 2024 general election defeat.

The Conservatives must convince voters that they remain a credible alternative government.

They also face competition from Reform, which continues to attract voters who want a tougher approach to immigration and national sovereignty.

The latest findings suggest that the Conservatives are being squeezed between Labour’s improving position and Reform’s continued presence on the right.

What the Polling Really Means for Labour

Although the findings are encouraging for Labour, they should not be interpreted as proof that voters are completely satisfied with the government.

Other polling provides an important qualification.

Ipsos research published in September found that although Labour was trusted most on several major policy areas, 55 per cent of respondents believed the government was doing a bad job of reducing the cost of living.

Similarly, 52 per cent believed it was performing badly on immigration and asylum.

This demonstrates an important distinction between trusting a political party and approving of its performance.

Labour may now be considered the most trusted party on many issues, but voters still expect improvements.

The government must therefore ensure that its stronger political position translates into meaningful results.

Conclusion: A Remarkable Change in Britain’s Political Landscape

The latest Survation findings represent a significant development for Labour and a challenge for its political opponents.

In July, Labour was trusted most on just seven of the 16 issues examined.

By October, that figure had increased to 15.

The party now leads on the economy, the NHS, housing, education, crime, the cost of living and numerous other major policy areas.

Reform UK, meanwhile, retains the advantage on immigration, although even that lead has narrowed.

For Andy Burnham, the findings provide an opportunity to establish Labour as a party capable of addressing a broad range of national challenges.

For Nigel Farage, they demonstrate that Reform must convince voters of its credibility beyond immigration and its traditional political priorities.

However, polling trust is only one part of the political picture.

The real test will be whether Labour can deliver the improvements that voters expect.

If it succeeds, its recovery could become more sustainable. If it fails, the opposition parties will have another opportunity to regain ground.

For now, the figures show a striking change: Labour has moved from being trusted on fewer than half of the issues examined to leading on almost all of them.