Half of Labour voters set to defect

Tuesday, 23 June 2009 12:00 AM

By politics.co.uk staff

Less than half the people who voted Labour at the last election are prepared to do so again, according to a new poll.

Fifty-two per cent of Labour voters told the Metro/Harris poll they would consider backing another party, with one in ten saying they would vote Tory and one in five saying they would choose another smaller party.

Meanwhile, just 15 per cent of Tory voters would consider defecting.

The Liberal Democrats are in similar trouble, with 50 per cent of their supporters unsure whether they will continue to vote for the party.

Overall, 30 per cent of respondents said they would vote Tory, 17 per cent Labour and 14 per cent Conservatives.

Taking away the 15 per cent of undecided voters, or those who will not vote, the poll puts the Tories ahead with 35 per cent, Labour on 20 per cent and the Lib Dems on 16 per cent. Other parties totalled 29 per cent support.

That would translate into 158 more seats for the Tories and a majority of 62, around current Labour levels.

The poll is further evidence of consolidated Tory success ahead of the next election, but Conservative support remains at a similar level to Labour's lukewarm success at the last general election, suggesting the country has fallen out of love with Labour rather than falling in love with the opposition.

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