More than one in five people in an area of Merseyside would describe themselves as “financially desperate”, meaning they cannot afford essentials.

People were asked to rank themselves from ‘well-off’ to ‘financially desperate’ in a study commissioned by campaign group 38 Degrees. Across the North West, 35% are “getting by, but making cutbacks”, 25% replied “worried about my financial future”, 9% are “financially desperate”, while 24% feel “comfortable” and only 6% feel “well off”.

The study grouped people by the constituencies that will come into force at the next general election and it found that thousands of people across Merseyside describe themselves as “financially desperate”. This means they “currently cannot afford essentials such as food, rent or mortgage [and are] already taking extreme measures such as skipping meals or missing rent payments”.

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In Birkenhead, 22% of people put themselves in this category. In Liverpool Riverside, the figure is 16%, and it is 15% in Liverpool West Derby.

The study also used its sample of 11,793 voters to predict voting intention in every single seat in Britain. It also looked at which issues matters most to voters.

In every single Merseyside constituency, the cost of living and NHS / health were the two issues ranked as most important by voters. When it comes to the NHS, voters are suffering delays to treatment at every level: in the the North West 23% of people say they’ve waited six hours or more at A&E in the last six months; 33% say a loved one has been waiting six months or more for NHS treatment and 42% have struggled to get a GP appointment in the last six months.

The polling also found that the Conservative Party would lose its Southport seat if the general election took place now. Southport is the only Tory seat in Merseyside and has never had a Labour MP.

The data shows that Labour would get 45% of the vote, while the Tories would get 35%. In Southport, over half (52%) of residents say they’ve struggled to see their GP in the last six months.

Nationally, the Conservative Party is predicted to claim just 29% of the vote (149 seats), to Labour’s 46% (420 seats). The Liberal Democrats are predicted to double their current seat count, winning 22 seats.

The regional voting results are echoed in the national picture, which shows that across the country, the Conservatives would lose all 44 Red Wall seats, and hold just 30 out of 52 ‘Blue Wall’ seats (historically Conservative seats in the South of England which voted remain).

Matthew McGregor, CEO at 38 Degrees, said: “There are parts of Merseyside where shockingly, one out of every five people is feeling ‘financially desperate’ - so it’s no surprise that this poll shows the Conservative Party losing its last foothold in the area.

“Across Merseyside people are worried, anxious and angry. They’re waiting for vital NHS care or watching loved ones do the same. They’re struggling to cover their energy bills or pay for their weekly shop. Even those able to cover the essentials are having to cut back on the little things that make life enjoyable - a monthly cinema trip or a meal out - which means millions of voters feeling increasingly miserable, and looking for change.

“As party conference season comes to an end this week, it’s clear what Merseyside voters will be looking for in the pledges parties are making: real guarantees of action to help those most in need and bring the dual cost of living and NHS crises under control for all of us.

“These are the issues which will dominate at the next election. Parties who are unconvincing, out of touch or distracted on these issues will rightly suffer at the polls.”

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