Sunday is for pollsters
As is frequently the case during elections, Sunday’s campaigning was overshadowed by several major polls in the press.
However, rather than the polls converging towards a likely winner, they seem to be moving further apart: the Sunday Times’ YouGov poll gave Labour a single percentage point lead over the Conservatives; a BPIX poll in the Mail on Sunday reaffirmed the previous week’s findings, with a Labour lead of three per cent; but an ICM poll in the Sunday Telegraph put the Tories ten points behind (full story).
Nevertheless, with the streets of London packed with marathon runners, campaigning continued apace.
Conservative leader Michael Howard unveiled plans to bolster pension saving, with a £1.7 billion package of tax relief, which will see a Tory government pay £10 into an individual’s pension fund for every £100 that person saves.
“Today, we’re announcing a detailed, carefully considered and fully costed proposal to repair the long term damage done by Mr Brown’s pension tax”, Mr Howard declared – in reference to the Chancellor’s abolition of Advance Corporation Tax dividend tax credit in 1997 (full story).
Mr Howard also hinted that the Conservatives would reveal a third tax cut proposal – significantly absent from their manifesto of last Monday – later in the week.
Labour immediately hit back, with Transport Secretary Alistair Darling and PPC for Normanton Ed Balls holding a press conference to dismiss the policy as “worthless”.
Stressing once again Labour’s key claim that the Conservatives’ spending commitments are incompatible with their tax cutting plans, Mr Darling stated “The question we are asking today is simple: Where is the money coming from?”
Labour also released more of their health plans today, promising to reduce the waiting time for cervical smear test results to seven working days by 2008.
“Speeding up test results through investing in the latest technology, new hospital labs and staff training is just one way Labour will ensure all NHS patients are treated within 18 weeks maximum with no hidden waits, from the seeing the family doctor to having an operation or starting treatment”, Health Secretary John Reid explained (full story).
Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy visited a sheltered housing unit in Vauxhall, south London to publicise his party’s pension plans.
“Liberal Democrats would ensure security and dignity in old age, led by more than £100 on the pension every month for the over-75s and free personal care for the elderly”, Mr Kennedy stated.
