Twenty per cent swayed by Howard

Monday, 8 March 2004 12:00 AM

One in five voters claim that they are more likely to vote for the Conservative Party now that Michael Howard is leader, according to a new poll.

However, research conducted by ICM found that around ten per cent of the 1,010 people surveyed for BBC1's The Politics Show said that Mr Howard's appointment had made them less likely to vote Tory.

Those professing that Mr Howard's leadership had made them more likely to vote Conservative were split between those "a lot" more likely to back the Tories and those "a little" more likely.

The survey showed that Mr Howard's replacement of former party leader Iain Duncan Smith had not affected the voting intentions of 68 per cent of Britons.

The mood at this year's Conservative spring conference was significantly more upbeat this year, with many Tories hopeful that Mr Howard's reign will rejuvenate the party.

Mr Duncan Smith was forced to step down last October following a no confidence vote. Mr Howard took over as Tory leader in November.

The poll by ICM Research was conducted on March 3rd and 4th.

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