Independent Political Poll

Labour’s opinion poll lead has fallen since the Budget and the Conservatives have improved their ratings on the economy, according to a ComRes survey for The Independent.  But Labour is trusted more than the Conservatives on pensions.

The first telephone poll taken since the Budget shows that Labour’s eight-point lead has dropped to five points in the past month. Labour is now on 36 per cent (down two points), the Conservatives on 31 per cent (up one point), UKIP on 11 per cent (no change), the Liberal Democrats on 9 per cent (down one point) and other parties on 13 per cent (up two points).

Asked which of the two biggest parties was most likely to keep the economy growing, 47 per cent name the Tories and 36 per cent Labour. The Tory lead has risen from nine to 11 points on this measure since last September.

The Conservatives have closed the gap on Ed Miliband’s chosen territory of living standards. Some 43 per cent of people believe Labour is most likely to make their family better off, with 37 per cent naming the Tories. But Labour’s lead has dropped from 10 to six points since last September.

The Tories (49 per cent) are seen as the party most likely to eliminate the Government’s budget deficit, with Labour named by 33 per cent.

Labour (48 per cent) is viewed as the party most likely to ensure pensioners have an adequate level of income in retirement, with 34 per cent choosing the Tories. However, George Osborne’s reforms to pensions and savings seem to have appealed to the “grey vote”. Some 49 per cent of those aged 65 and over say the Tories would be more likely to ensure pensioners have an adequate level of income, with only 36 per cent of this group opting for Labour.

Methodology Note: ComRes interviewed 1,024 GB adults by telephone between March 21 and 23, 2014. Data were weighted to be demographically representative of all GB adults. Data were also weighted by past vote recall. ComRes is a member of the British Polling Council and abides by its rules.