Labour buoyed by pre-election budget effect
Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown’s pre-election budget has helped boost Labour’s lead by three points since last month, denting the resurgence of the Conservatives, according to a new poll.
The ICM poll for The Guardian newspaper puts Labour on 40 per cent, eight points ahead of Michael Howard’s Tory party, the biggest difference between the two since December.
Charles Kennedy’s Liberal Democrats are down one on 20 percentage points.
Reflected at the polls, the lead would give Labour a majority of 146 in the Commons and hand the party a historic third term of office.
A fifth of respondents gave Mr Brown’s Budget speech the thumbs up, while 14 per cent said it would cost votes.
Nearly a third (30 per cent) of pensioners said they were more likely to vote Labour as a result of the Budget after pledges were taken to cut council tax bills and offer free bus passes.
In terms of leadership qualities, Tony Blair is preferred as premier to Mr Howard by 51 per cent to 36 per cent.
On policy, Labour won votes on seven out of eight key issues, including law and order, though the Tories were ahead on asylum and immigration.
Labour was 13 and 14 points ahead on health and education respectively, the two top issues, and had a 17-point lead on the economy. The Government enjoyed a significant 14-point lead on law and order.
Over seven out of ten voters (71 per cent) believed Labour would win the next election.
ICM interviewed 1,005 adults by telephone between March 18 and 20.
