Labour tops three polls
Labour has a consistently strong lead over the Conservatives, according to three new opinion polls.
Labour has 38 per cent of the voters’ backing, compared with the Conservatives’ 32 per cent and 22 per cent for the Liberal Democrats, according to a MORI poll for The Observer.
A CommunicateResearch poll in the Independent on Sunday has Labour on 40 per cent, with Michael Howard’s Tory party at 32 per cent; Charles Kennedy’s Lib Dems have 20 per cent.
But the poll found immigration a key issue among voters, suggesting the issue could cost Labour votes at the next election
Mr Howard this week pledged to impose a strict limit on the number of immigrants allowed into the UK.
Almost three-quarters of respondents (71 per cent) said the Government did not have the problem of illegal immigration under control.
Four in ten (41 per cent) said the issue might prompt a change of alliances at the polling booth.
Meanwhile, an ICM poll in The Sunday Telegraph gives Labour 37 per cent of support with the Tories on 32 per cent, with 21 per cent going to smaller opposition parties.
Should the poll reflect results at the general election, expected in May, Labour would win an historic third term of office with an overall majority of 116 seats, the newspaper claims.
The ICM survey also gave pro-Europeans a boost after it showed just 41 per cent of interviewees opposed the European Constitution, against 39 per cent who were in favour of the controversial treaty.
ICM Research questioned 1,000 people for The Sunday Telegraph on January 26th and 27th.
A recent poll for the European Commission claimed Britain was alone in Europe in having a populace more opposed to the treaty than in favour.
In terms of the Prime Minister’s personal rating, the poll found 57 per cent of voters thought Mr Blair untrustworthy, with 32 per cent trusting him.
On Saturday, Party Chairman Ian McCartney called on voters to cast their ballots at the next election or risk handing the Tories’ a shock victory.
The Labour hierarchy fears turnout could be down on the record low of 59 per cent at the 2001 election.
Mr McCartney told union activists in London that victory was by no means “in the bag” for Labour.
“I remember the 1970 election. In the run-up to that election, Labour had a majority of around 100, the Tories had a leader who everyone thought was unelectable and Labour led by 16 per cent in the polls. People thought it was in the bag,” he said.
