Voters believe Sir Keir Starmer’s Government is even worse than the chaotic Conservative administration that suffered a devastating defeat in last year’s election, new polling shows. They struggle to name a single achievement, while the bungled attempt to remove winter fuel payments from millions of pensioners is continuing to damage Labour’s reputation even though the policy was largely abandoned in a June u-turn.

However, voters have more faith in Reform, led by Nigel Farage, to deal with concerns such as stopping small boats, cutting crime and defending free speech than in Kemi Badenoch’s Conservatives. The findings come from a new poll commissioned by Conservative peer Lord Ashcroft. It found that 39% of voters believed the Labour government is worse than the one it replaced, based on what they had seen so far, with just 23% saying it is better. Others said there was no change or they did not know.

Even among those who voted Labour last year, 12% said Sir Keir’s government was worse than the Conservative regime that gave the nation five prime ministers between 2016 and 2024.

Asked to name something Labour had done since winning power, good or bad, 26% highlighted means-testing winter fuel payments, a higher figure than for any other policy. The second most memorable event was allowing 50,000 small boat crossings, named by 12%.

The positive achievement voters noticed most has been signing global trade deals, but only three percent of those surveyed highlighted this.

However the polling suggested many voters are looking to Reform to come up with effective alternative ideas. Lord Ashcroft said: “Asked who was providing the most effective opposition to the Labour government, people were five times as likely to name Reform UK as the Conservatives.”

Asked which party “would do the best job if they were in Government” on a range of policies, Reform were ahead on dealing with small boats, cutting crime and getting the balance right between free speech and public order.

Voters believed the Conservatives were most likely to grow the economy and get inflation under control, with Labour seen as the party most likely to get NHS waiting lists down.

The House of Commons returns on Tuesday following the summer recess, traditionally a quiet time for politics although Reform used the break to issue a series of high-profile policy announcements on crime and immigration. Chancellor Rachel Reeves has been hit by a series of worrying economic statistics, including yesterday’s figures showing food prices rose by 4.2% over 12 months with the cost of butter and eggs and chocolate soaring.

Next week also sees the start of the party conference season beginning with Reform’s two-day gathering at Birmingham’s NEC, starting Friday September 5.

Liberal Democrats begin their conference in Bournemouth on September 20, with party leader Sir Ed Davey speaking on September 23.

Labour’s gathering begins in Liverpool on September 28, with the Prime Minister’s keynote speech expected on September 30. Major announcements to coincide with the event are set to include funding for a major new rail network in the north of England.

The Conservative conference begins in Manchester on October 5, with party leader Kemi Badenoch expected to deliver her speech on October 8.