Poll: Labour Set To Beat Tories In Election

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Poll: Labour Set To Beat Tories In Election


Last Updated 22:01 01/03/2010
Ruth Barnett, Sky News Online
The Conservatives' lead remains fragile as the latest figures suggest Labour is on track to be the biggest party after the election.

David Cameron's lead was cut to just two in a YouGov survey that hung over his speech to delegates at a spring conference in Brighton at the weekend.

Fresh polls suggest the Tories have clawed back some support from voters, but not enough to win the next election.

A monthy ComRes survey for the Independent gives the Tories a five-point lead, down from seven.

If the numbers are translated to a general election result, Labour would have 17 more seats than David Cameron's party and Gordon Brown would be Prime Minister in a hung parliament.

The poll put the Conservatives down one point to 37, Labour up one to 32 and the Liberal Democrats unchanged at 19.

A daily poll by YouGov for The Sun sees the Tories return to a seven-point lead, suggesting Mr Cameron's speech on Saturday did connect with voters and the weekend figures were temporary.

The poll found 39% of people plan to vote Conservative, while 32% will back Labour and 17% support the Lib Dems.

Pundits believe the Conservatives would need at least 40% of the vote at the election to win a majority.

A hung parliament occurs when no single party wins more seats than all the others added together.!

It is likely the leader of the largest party would try to form a government.

Sky's chief political correspondent Jon Craig said the results would provide some relief for Conservative strategists.

However, he added that claims Mr Brown bullies Downing Street staff have failed to substantially damage him.

"Inside Tory HQ, the Cameroons were hoping that the Sun's daily poll would show a revival after David Cameron's speech in Brighton. It appears to have done that, but these daily polls are very volatile," he said.

"It's interesting that the Bullygate allegations don't seem to be damaging Gordon Brown.!

"Only 20% - according to ComRes - think the Prime Minister is "an unpleasant bully" but 12% think David Cameron is."

sjaypink

I really don't think it will be that tight on the day, but, if it was (hung parliment) how would the tories recover? Would Cameron & crew be forced out?

Heyman_2

The fact that the people of this country can't think of anything better to do than vote for either collection of scumbags is the real tragedy here.

treliac

If it's likely to be a close finish, anyone who may have registered a protest vote will have to carefully decide which of the two main parties they would prefer to be in charge for the next four years.... and use their vote wisely.

Graham_Devon

I can't vote for them, but can't say I wouldn't be happy to see labour back in, cleaning up their own mess, and watching all those people who voted them in calling them nasty when their benefits are reduced etc etc etc.

treliac

Graham_Devon wrote: »

see labour back in, cleaning up their own mess, and watching all those people who voted them in calling them nasty when their benefits are reduced etc etc etc.

The wriggling and writhing could be amusing. But how much more damage could they do along the way?

Pagg

Yes, what a !!!!! when the next government sells off all the assets & shares they rescued from the failing private sector, back to the private sector, at a massive real loss to the public sector, but for a large amount of cash, that can then be used to

a) pay for tax cuts for the rich or
b) pay for better state provision for the poor and needy.

Kohoutek

Pagg wrote: »

Yes, what a !!!!! when the next government sells off all the assets & shares they rescued from the failing private sector, back to the private sector, at a massive real loss to the public sector, but for a large amount of cash, that can then be used to

a) pay for tax cuts for the rich or
b) pay for better state provision for the poor and needy.

It's not going to be used for either. The bank bailout and guarantees on bad assets are completely unfunded, it's just government liabilities that are not included on the government's balance sheet. When the government sells off its investments or winds up all the guarantees, it will just be recouping money it never intended to borrow it the first place.

Pagg

it's just government liabilities that are not included on the government's balance sheet.

Which is why countries bailing out their failed banking sectors are losing their coveted AAA ratings, si?

Kohoutek

Pagg wrote: »

Which is why countries bailing out their failed banking sectors are losing their coveted AAA ratings, si?

According to the government's estimates the net cost to the taxpayer will only be £10 billion, although that may be optimistic.

The reason we might lose our AAA rating is that Gordon Brown has set government spending at a level appropriate for a country where boom and bust had been abolished, and currently refuses to announce any credible plans reduce it.

Unfortunately, like King Canute, no matter how important you are, just saying something, like you've abolished boom and bust, doesn't make it happen.

Graham_Devon

treliac wrote: »

The wriggling and writhing could be amusing. But how much more damage could they do along the way?

I think we would see a complete U Turn if labour get back in. Pretty much weeks after the election, they would become the "nasty" party the tory party was branded to be. Must to the dismay of all their voters who think that labour will look after them and keep giving them more and more money.

They simply cannot continue as they are. The markets are telling them in no uncertain terms.