Voters fear coalition teetering over Europe

Sunday, 18 December 2011 11:15 AM

By politics.co.uk staff

Public confidence in the coalition's ability to last five years has slumped in the wake of its row over the eurozone crisis.

A poll for the Sunday Telegraph by ICM found that just 45% of voters believe the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats will be able to survive their divisions over the European Union.

The research was carried out on Wednesday and Thursday last week, after deputy prime minister Nick Clegg had stayed away from the Commons chamber for David Cameron's report to MPs on the outcome of the Brussels summit.

Liberal Democrats said Britain had been outvoted 26 to one after Mr Cameron refused to participate in a new fiscal integration pact, which is now going ahead without the UK.

The poll found 41% of voters believe the dispute within the coalition will eventually lead to the fall of the government.

That would trigger an early general election which brings the Conservatives close to being able to secure an outright majority, recent polls have suggested.

After wiping out Labour's slim lead in three polls out in the last week, the Tories have now taken a six-point lead ahead of Labour in the ICM's research.

It put the Conservatives on 40%, up two points, with Labour down two to 34%. The Lib Dems remained unchanged on 14%.

Were that result reproduced in a general election it would give the Conservatives 322 seats, just short of an overall majority. Labour would win 277 and the Lib Dems would be reduced to just 23 seats.

The poll also suggested the British public continues to want a referendum on Europe, with just 25% opposed to such a move.

It found that 35% of voters want a vote to be held within the next year, 16% by 2015 and eight per cent by 2020.

Tags:
• coalition
,
• eurozone crisis
,
• poll