Latest polls show Tory lead slipping
Tuesday, 9 March 2010 12:00 AM
By politics.co.uk staff
Two polls have confirmed the recent trend towards narrowing polling results, increasing the likelihood of a hung parliament.
According to an Opinium survey carried out for the Daily Express newspaper the Conservatives have a seven-point advantage - enough to make them the largest party but falling short of an overall majority.
The survey's findings represented a slip in Conservative support, as last week's Opinium poll had the Tories' advantage at nine per cent.
A separate poll by Populus for the Times newspaper focusing on Conservative target seats from numbers 50 to 149 placed the two parties neck and neck, on 38% apiece.
This represents a 6.7% swing from Labour to the Conservatives based on figures from the 2005 election. It suggests the huge Tory leafleting campaign in crucial marginals is having a more limited impact than Conservative strategists might like.
It was reported that on the basis of these findings the Tories would only win an additional 20 seats from Labour, again leaving them short of an overall majority.
Newsletter sign up