Labour maintains lead over Tories in new YouGov poll

Latest opinion polls puts Labour two points ahead of the Conservatives.

By New Statesman Published 16 November 2010

Labour has maintained its lead over the Conservatives in a new opinion poll amid signs that support for the coalition's spending cuts is in decline. The latest YouGov poll for the Sun puts Ed Miliband's party up one point to 42 per cent, with the Conservatives up one to 40 per cent and the Lib Dems unchanged on 10 per cent.

If repeated at a general election on a uniform swing, the latest figures would give Labour a majority of 20 seats. However, the party is likely to lose a significant number of seats under the coalition's proposed boundary changes. The government plan to equalise constituency sizes will also see the number of MPs fall from 650 to 600.

A recent estimate suggests that if this year's election had been contested under the new boundaries, the Lib Dems would have won seven fewer seats -- more than 13 per cent of their total. Labour would have lost 25 seats, nearly 10 per cent, and the Conservatives 13 seats -- just over 4 per cent.

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Tags: Politics News Polls Guide

8 comments

Fri, 2010-11-19 01:39 — thinkov

just imagine if we were optimistica about a l;abour govt instead of just pessimistic about a tory one

we should be miles ahead

Wed, 2010-11-17 08:16 — Zole (not verified)

Can't quite understand this.

You say: "Latest opinion polls put Labour 2 points ahead of the Conservatives." And yet this piece then goes on to inform us that the YouGov poll has Labour on 42, Tories 35, LibDems 10.

So, 7 percentage points, surely ?!!!

Unless, of course, the 2 points refers to the average gap from a number of recent polls ? You haven't made it clear.

Tue, 2010-11-16 11:50 — Jan Cosgrove

As this coup-by-coalition continues its opportunistic rape of the welfare state, the Tories will need to worry about more than the loss of 13 parliamentaryseats and the LibDems 7. The lessons of the Irish 'miracle' might worry Osborne if he weren't such an arrogant twat, people will know who to blame as the pain gains But that is the nature of the Tory beast. The question is will Ed become more red and resist the false lure of massive and quick deficit reduction? The alternative is to create more wealth which can be used by the state, including progressive taxation which is truly equitable, where the wealthy (who become so always at the expense of and on the backs of the poorest) pay their proper share.

Tue, 2010-11-16 13:17 — carlhcarl

I suppose one should be pleased, but after 31 years of neoliberal conservatism I can't see what difference it would make. I want a progressive party to vote for but there isn't one. Some bloody democracy.

Wed, 2010-11-17 15:45 — Zole (not verified)

How strange !

When I posted my comment above, this story ('Labour Maintains lead over Tories in new YouGov poll'), gave the following party support figures Lab 42, Con 35, LibDems 10. Hence, my comments.

Now they've been changed to 42/40/10 - which, in turn, makes my comment (above) appear vaguely ridiculous !

The original figures have been transposed to George Eaton's piece 'Labour opens up a five-point lead over the Tories'.

Tue, 2010-11-16 17:32 — bing91

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Thu, 2010-11-18 22:45 — Ken (not verified)

The comments about the changes to the boundaries proves the point that the Tories are up to their old tricks, fiddling the system for their own personal gain.

Tue, 2010-11-16 21:26 — Hugh Markey (not verified)

People forget that Osborne has an Irish heritage. His antecedents may even have links to Tipperary. If anyone can find the 'crock at the end of the rainbow, he's your man.
Duke of Wellington
[Also, not too keen on admitting to his Irish roots ]