The Lib Dem bubble hasn't burst
Latest polls put Lib Dems ahead of Labour and show little decline in support.
By George Eaton Published 25 April 2010 0:00Latest poll (YouGov/Sunday Times) Conservatives 43 seats short of a majority.
There are no fewer than six new opinion polls out today, most of which show the Conservatives' lead beginning to recover.
The latest Ipsos MORI/News of the World poll will undoubtedly attract the most attention. It puts the Tories up four points to 36 per cent, Labour up two to 30 per cent and the Lib Dems down nine to a pre-debate level of 23 per cent. But since none of the remaining five show a similar decline in Lib Dem support, I think it's safe to assume this is a rogue poll (around one in twenty are).
Elsewhere, the YouGov daily tracker has the Tories on 35 per cent (+1), the Lib Dems on 28 per cent (-1) and Labour on 27 per cent (-2). If repeated on a uniform swing at the election, the figures would leave David Cameron 43 seats short of a majority in a hung parliament.
It's worth noting that after reaching a peak of 34 per cent last week, the Lib Dems' share of the vote has settled at around 28-29. This is still unusually high, but it does suggest that the surge may have peaked.
Meanwhile, the latest ComRes survey for the Sunday Mirror and the Independent on Sunday shows the Conservative lead falling back to five points after two earlier polls put it at eight-nine points. The poll puts the Tories down one to 34 per cent, the Lib Dems up two 29 per cent and Labour up three to 28 per cent.
New Statesman Poll of Polls
Hung parliament, Conservatives 54 seats short.
Like ComRes, the latest ICM/Sunday Telegraph poll also suggests support for the Lib Dems remains healthy, with Clegg's party up one to 31 per cent. The Tories are on 35 per cent (+2) and Labour on 26 per cent (-2). On a uniform swing, the figures would leave Cameron 50 seats short of an overall majority.
There is also a new BPIX poll for the Mail on Sunday which has topline figures of Con 34 per cent (+3), Lib Dems 30 per cent (-2) and Lab 26 per cent (-2). Finally, a OnePoll survey for the People has the Tories on 32 per cent, the Lib Dems also 32 per cent and Labour on just 23 per cent. But it's currently unclear whether the company uses proper weighting, so I'm leaving it out of our Poll of Polls for now.
Overall, it looks the right-wing smears against Nick Clegg have failed to dent Lib Dem support and that his party is still set for a record-breaking performance at the election. Meanwhile, several of the polls suggest that the extraordinary possibility of Labour falling into third place at the election cannot be ignored.
In the case of the Tories, a significant amount of progress is needed in the remaining two weeks if they are to prevent Britain's first hung parliament since 1974.
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7 comments
I am voting liberal, because they are going to allow illigal immigrants the right to benifits. they realy are a party that helps criminals out. yes vite libs
To the person at the top who's voting Labour in case the Lib Dems form a coalition with the Tories (I do hope not), do as you must but please consider that if other people vote Lib Dem as well then they won't have to join with anybody. And at the next election, you'll be able to vote for whoever you like, safe in the knowledge that your vote will count. Imagine that!
James, I'm glad the Liberal Democrats have your support and that you acknowledge the population of immigrants in this country who have no choice but to earn money by breaking the law. I agree with you that if they're good enough then we should get them declared and into a proper job where they can work legally and pay their way in taxes.
Strange how the paper that is saying Cleggs bubble has burst, wont actually report what the figure were from it's own poll for it's own readers. More polling jiggery pokery from the NOTW.
http://redrag1.blogspot.com/2010/04/red-rag-one-vital-statistic-missing....
ITS INTRESTING TO FIND OUT THAT AROUND THE WORLD IN OTHER WESTERN COUNTRYS THEY CANT UNDERSTAND WHY WE WANT TO VOTE LABOUR AND BROWN OUT . I THINK THE PRESS HAS BRAINWASHED PEOPLE AGAINST LABOUR AND MR BROWN OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS , THIS IS WHY ITS SO HARD FOR LABOUR RIGHT NOW . BUT IM STICKING WITH THE BATTLE HARDEND LABOUR TEAM PROVEN IN A CRISIS . PLEASE , PLEASE PEOPLE VOTE BASED ON POLICY AND FACTS , 100 TORIE MPs are self confessed hard thatcherites , well come on bugger that , im sticking with labour becouse i dont trust the lib dems not to prop up the toris which after a honey moon period will lead to the destruction of the lib dem party .
Cameron is in reality an arrogant twit who would kiss any kind of baby - except a black one - to gain power. Thee is little between the Tories and the BNP.
Gordon Brown is psychologically flawed. He signed he cheque for the War on Iraq. He poodles our nation to the Yanks in Afghanistan. He must be chucked out.
Clegg will frenew hope - he must be Prime Minister.
Arthur O'Connor
i dont beleave the pols becouse ive lost faith in the media after hearing the other day was it the mail ? with holding the truth about a national poll , they are telling lies about polls . anything to to get labour out , i think the people are starting to wake up to this . and theirs two weeks to go if labour can pick it up bye 4 or 5 % before election day they are back.they need to swing some of that soft tory vote bacl to labour , play up their progressive side more . becouse labour has done some realy good things since being elected , play those up . thinks like the minimum wage that the lib dems and the cons oposed . god help this country if the conservitives get elected i havent forgotton the last time they were in , we had riots on the streets evreything , high taxation , poll tax , who wants to go back to that .vote leabour , why to be sure possitive we dont return to the nasty old ways of the tories . camrons already admitted hes going to srtip scotland and northern island of services what hes wants to do for those places he wants to do in the uk .dont let them vote labour .there is no other w3ay to be sure .