Lib Dems ‘appeal to disillusioned Labour voters’
The Liberal Democrats are much closer to the views of Labour voters than Tony Blair and new Labour according to a poll by The Times newspaper.
The poll, which coincides with the start of the Liberal Democrat party conference in Brighton, argues that the Liberal Democrat leader, Charles Kennedy is now in a position to appeal to disillusioned Labour voters and highlights a gap between Labour voters and the party’s leadership.
Labour voters see themselves as being left of centre but the party is increasingly being viewed as being to the right of centre.
The poll suggests that Mr Kennedy’s party is almost exactly in line with the views of floating voters who could prove important in the next General Election.
The survey found that a majority of voters do have a favourable view of the Liberal Democrats as a potential government, but well over half the public still see them as a ‘protest party’ and that their policies ‘probably don’t really add up’.
The Times’ survey is expected to intensify the debate within the political parties about how to respond to the Liberal Democrat victory in the Brent East by-election.
Sarah Teather won the Brent East seat for the Liberal Democrats by overturning a 13,000 majority and ending a Labour’s 15-year stranglehold on the ward.
The result was seen as a devastating blow for Labour and the Conservative Party who trailed in third place.
