Experts have identified six groups of voters among the UK’s electorate – including ‘Middle Britons’, ‘Left-Behind Patriots’, and ‘Well-Off Traditionalists’.
Ahead of the general election on 4 July, a new analysis from the National Centre for Social Research split the voting population into half-a-dozen distinct categories.
These were determined by Brits’ answers to 12 key questions on a wide range of topics, including the views of those less politically engaged or less likely to vote.
The groups have shared characteristics – such as social class, gender, levels of education, and geographical location – as well as aligned views on political issues such as the economy, immigration and climate change.
The NatCen research was based on data from the Brititish Social Attitudes survey and is said to provide ‘a more nuanced insight into the major dividing lines in British politics’.
Elections expert Professor Sir John Curtice, a senior research Fellow at NatCen, said: ‘Much of the commentary on the election focuses on questions of performance.
‘But elections are also influenced by voters’ values and their perceptions of politics and politicians.
‘The electorate is not just divided between ‘left’ and ‘right’, but also between ‘liberals’ and ‘authoritarians’, while many people sit in the middle and are not especially interested in politics.
‘This poses particular challenges for the two main parties who will have to reach out to voters well beyond their own ‘comfort zones’ to succeed.’

Experts have identified six groups of voters among the UK’s electorate – including ‘Middle Britons’, ‘Left-Behind Patriots’, and ‘Well-Off Traditionalists’

‘Well-Off Traditionalists’ are described as being ‘highly politically engaged and likely to vote’ with views that align with the policies of Tory leader Rishi Sunak

‘Urban Progressives’ are described as being ‘typically university educated professionals’ and likely to support Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour

‘Left-Behind Patriots’ are described as ‘patriotic, mostly voted for Brexit’ with ‘no strong allegiance to any party’ but more likely than any group to support Nigel Farage’s Reform UK
The six new voter types are:
- The Middle Britons: the largest group of voters, making up more than a quarter of the electorate (26 per cent). Mostly in the middle ground across issues. Closest to ‘typical’ voter, no clear political affiliation, hard to win over and not that likely to vote.
- The Well-Off Traditionalists: 12 per cent of the electorate. Highly politically engaged and likely to vote, many living in rural south-east, with socially conservative views that align with Conservative policies.
- The Apolitical Centrists: 17 per cent of the electorate. The least politically engaged, generally on the right on economic issues but more centrist on social issues. Relatively young and low income. Many will likely not vote, but those that do will probably choose either Conservative or Labour.
- The Left-Behind Patriots: 15 per cent of the electorate. Patriotic, mostly voted for Brexit. Opposed to economic inequality but conservative in their social outlook. No strong allegiance to any party but more likely than any group to support Reform.
- The Urban Progressives: 16 per cent of the electorate. Typically university educated professionals, lean strongly to the left on economic issues and in a liberal direction on social ones. Likely to support Labour or the Greens, and highly likely to vote.
- The Soft-Left Liberals: 14 per cent of the electorate. University educated, politically engaged, liberal on social issues but more centrist on the economy. Likely to vote – for Labour, Greens or Lib Dems.
The British Social Attitudes survey randomly selects members of households across the country rather than people opting in to gather data.
This is aimed at generating a representative picture of the current electorate, and avoiding biases around political engagement or affiliation.
Lovisa Moller, NatCen’s director of analysis, said: ‘We need a more nuanced understanding of dividing lines in British politics.
‘Crucially, we also need to ensure that the labels and groupings that guide our thinking don’t leave out those less politically engaged and less inclined to vote, who may not be so well captured by most polling data.
‘It is our hope that this will help those interested in politics better understand how British voters think and feel about social and political issues that matter.’