Labour on course for historic third term
New opinions polls this weekend point to a Labour election victory on May 5.
But there is no consensus among pollsters on the margin of victory between the main political parties.
One poll puts the gap between Labour and Conservatives at one per cent, while another puts it at 10 per cent.
According to the YouGov poll for The Sunday Times, Tory leader Michael Howard has reduced the margin to just a single point, with Labour on 36 per cent, the Conservatives on 35 per cent, and the Liberal Democrats on 23 per cent.
Should that result reflect outcomes at the election, Labour’s majority in the Commons would be reduced by two thirds to just 60 seats.
But an ICM poll for The Sunday Telegraph tells another story, with Labour on course for another landslide victory and a third consecutive and unprecedented term of office, with a majority of 158.
The Labour party is head-and-shoulders above other parties on 40 per cent, with the Tories on 30 per cent and the Lib Dems on 22 per cent.
The paper also predicted that outcome would be grim news for Shadow Chancellor Oliver Letwin, and colleagues David Davis and Tim Collins, who may lose their seats to the Lib Dems.
Elsewhere, an ICM poll for The News of the World of key marginal seats saw Labour on course for victory with a majority of 152 MPs.
A CommunicateResearch poll for The Independent on Sunday claimed Labour’s lead would double if Chancellor Gordon Brown succeeded Mr Blair as leader.
The poll found the swing to the Tories in 93 constituencies where they run a close second to Labour in 2001 was only one per cent.
Meanwhile, a BPIX poll for The Mail on Sunday has Labour on 37 per cent, up three on the Tories.
Of those respondents intending to vote, the parties were tied at 37 per cent.
