Howard puts Tories in poll position
A new opinion poll has put support for the Conservatives ahead of Labour, indicating a good start by new leader Michael Howard.
The Conservative party received 38 per cent support, a rise of four per cent on a previous poll and two per cent more than the Government, which held steady at 36 per cent.
The YouGov Survey was conducted for the Telegraph, and is good news for Michael Howard, who has taken over leadership of the official opposition. It suggests that his ascent has put the Tories in a new light, and may have damaged the Liberal Democrats.
The Lib Dems dropped four points to just 19 per cent support after a prolonged period above 20 per cent. This may mean that Mr Howard’s rise in the Conservatives has damaged the Liberal Democrat’s claim to be the most effective opposition to Labour.
As for which leader would make the best Prime Minister, Tony Blair still leads with 31 per cent, but Mr Howard was chosen by 27 per cent, much higher then his predecessor Iain Duncan Smith. Charles Kennedy’s rating slipped to just ten per cent.
While it is common for Governments to slip behind the opposition in mid term, the concern that Michael Howard has reinvigorated the opposition will be compounded by other findings in the survey.
The poll of nearly 2000 adults found that six in ten disapprove of Labour’s record in office, and sixty five per cent believe the government is not trustworthy.
