Common Questions

Who is Survation and why do politicians care about their polls?

Survation is a UK polling firm founded in 2009, regulated under the British Polling Council, and known for correctly predicting Labour's 2017 surge when most pollsters missed it.

What did Survation find about Andy Burnham's approval in the north?

Survation polling showed Burnham with significantly higher approval ratings among northern Labour voters than Keir Starmer, data cited inside the PLP ahead of the 12 May 2026 leadership head-count.Source: Lowdown uk-elections-2026 U#8

Who is Survation and why do their polls get cited so often?

Survation is a UK polling firm founded in 2009, regulated by the British Polling Council. It gained credibility for correctly predicting Labour's 2017 surge when most pollsters missed it.

Background

Survation is a UK polling and research firm founded in 2009, regulated under the British Polling Council (BPC) code of practice. It uses online panel methodology and publishes full methodology notes with each topline. Survation gained significant credibility for its 2017 general election final call, which correctly predicted Labour's surge when most pollsters understated Jeremy Corbyn's support, a call its directors initially held back from publishing for fear of ridicule before releasing it as the last poll before close of play.

In the 2026 UK election cycle, Survation was commissioned by LabourList to poll Labour member opinion on the Burnham-Starmer leadership dynamic. Its data showing Burnham leading Starmer 61% to 39% among Labour members was cited during the PLP head-count discussions in May 2026 and became part of the public record when LabourList published it alongside the NEC deliberations. Survation's own Makerfield by-election projection, which put Burnham three points ahead of Reform's Rob Kenyon, undershot Burnham's actual 18 June result by roughly twenty points, as his 9,231-vote majority far exceeded the pre-election estimate.

As a methodologically distinct pollster with a track record of consensus-bucking accuracy, Survation's outputs carry disproportionate weight in breaking-news political contexts, though Makerfield shows that reputation for directional accuracy does not guarantee margin accuracy. Its work spans elections, economic attitudes, and media trust questions across multiple topics.