Labour flatlines while Tories shoot ahead
By politics.co.uk staff
The Conservatives have shot ahead of Labour in a recent poll, finally overtaking the government team on economic competence.
A lack of faith in the government’s response to the financial crisis appears to be consolidating, with only 31 per cent of people believing the current strategy will succeed.
The Guardian/ICM poll puts the Conservatives six points ahead of last month’s showing on 44 per cent. Labour is on 32 per cent while the Liberal Democrats are on 16 per cent.
The new poll comes just a day after a ComRes survey for The Independent showed strong support for the Tories, with the party going from a five to 15 point lead in one month.
Support for government action changes depending on the policy. Gordon Brown’s drive for a new ‘New Deal’, with a mass programme of public works, earns massive support, at 85 per cent.
Surprisingly, the VAT cut is also popular, with 63 per cent supporting it.
But public opinion appears to be mobilising against the bank bailouts.
Forty-three per cent of respondents said the government was right to purchase a large share in some banks, while 40 per cent said full-scale nationalisation was a good idea.
The policy of underwriting bank lending earned 52 per cent support.
The figures show Labour unmoved since last August and oscillating around the 31 per cent mark. Most of the Tory support appears to come from Liberal Democrats and smaller parties.
The Lib Dems will be depressed and perplexed by the poll. They have fallen three points since an August ICM poll, despite a strong economic team, including Vince Cable, who some call the most popular politician in Britain.
If today’s results were replicated at a general election, the Tories would attain a majority of 70, with Labour retaining only 240 MPs.
The Tory lead on the economy stands at two points. Labour has dropped 11 points in two months on the issue.
But the results are not a full-blown vindication for the Conservatives, who are still below their March 2008 level, when the 10p tax fiasco was on the front pages.
Labour strategists had warned party officials there would be a drop in Labour support in the new year as the brutal reality of daily job cuts made itself felt.
