Labour’s rating tops 40 per cent
The Labour Party has topped 40 per cent in an opinion poll for the first time since April 2003.
Its rating rose three points from last month to stand at 41 per cent, the party’s best showing since the beginning of the Iraq war.
The Populus poll for the Times found the Conservatives down one point on 32 per cent, with the Liberal Democrats on 18 per cent, down two points.
Michael Howard’s bid to capture the vote on immigration, asylum and tax appears to have produced results, with his party rated eight points ahead of Labour on migration and one ahead on taxes.
But Labour continued to win backing from voters on top issues such as NHS, crime and anti-social behaviour, education, terrorism, pensions and social security. Immigration came fifth in the list of voters priorities.
Interestingly, Labour were 15 points ahead on the question of interest rates – something it has targeted heavily in its poster campaigns. But, voters rank interest rates 12th the list of key issues.
For the first time Populus also included Kilroy-Silk’s new party Veritas. It won 0.35 per cent of support, with his former party UKIP on one per cent.
Populus interviewed 1,518 adults over the phone between February 4th and 6th.
