Voters in England are increasingly turning away from the two main parties, as elections in 2024 and 2026 showed. Much discussion has focused on the rise of Reform UK, particularly among younger men. But what’s happening among women – and how is it affecting voting behaviour on the left?

Women, especially younger women, have been more likely than men to support parties on the left since at least 2017. Gender divides in support for the Greens and Reform UK (or UKIP/Brexit party) drove much of this split at the 2019 European Parliament elections and the 2024 general election.

As Green support rises, we asked who is now turning to the party and what issues matter most to these voters. As part of our ongoing research, we surveyed around 2,000 people in the UK with YouGov in early May (just before the local elections). We have now done some analysis of these results.

Overall, we found that the demographic profile of those who said they would vote for a leftwing rather than a rightwing party has changed little since the general election in 2024. Younger voters remain less likely to vote for rightwing parties, while those with a university degree or who live in an urban area are more likely to vote on the left.

But what about party support within this group of potential leftwing voters? Compared to Labour supporters, those saying they voted Green in 2024........

© The Conversation