BBC Sunday Politics Conservative Councillors Survey

ComRes interviewed 1,444 Conservative councillors online between 22^nd August – 6^th September 2013. Data were weighted to be representative of all Conservative councillors in England and Wales by region.

Date Published: 28 Sep 2013

Categories: Energy | Media | Policy Makers | Politics | Technology & Telecoms | UK

Description

Nearly a quarter of Conservative councillors support a pact with UKIP at the next general election according to a survey for BBC1's Sunday Politics by ComRes.

In the survey of 1,444 Councillors, 22% support a pact with UKIP in the run-up to the election in 2015 with 66% opposed to the idea.

The majority of Conservative councillors believe that most voters in their area consider David Cameron to have the right ideas for Britain (62%), is a good leader (61%) and trustworthy (57%). 

However, 23% of Conservative councillors believe that voters in their area see the Prime Minister as arrogant and only 26% of councillors in our survey believe he is seen as in touch with ordinary people. Only 22% say that he listens to the views of the Party's grassroots.

57% of Conservative councillors in our survey believe people in their area see George Osborne as having the right ideas for steering Britain in the right direction and 41% as trustworthy.

However, 38% of Conservative councillors in our survey believe voters in their area see the Chancellor as arrogant and only 18% as a good leader and 11% in touch with ordinary people. Only 15% believe he listens to the views of the Party's grassroots.

63% of Conservative councillors believe that legalising gay marriage will cost the Party more votes than it gains at the next election compared with 18% who disagree.

And 62% are opposed to the Government's pledge to commit 0.7% of UK GDP to international aid with 28% supporting the policy.

The majority of Conservative councillors believe that on balance immigration has had a negative impact on Britain (54%) compared with 26% who believe it's had a positive impact. 19% believe the impact has been neutral.

Less than a third (32%) of Conservative councillors in our survey believe climate change is happening and is mainly caused by human activity. 50% believe that climate change is happening but human activity is not mainly to blame and 8% believe it's not happening at all.

The survey was conducted for BBC1's Sunday Politics programme by ComRes who interviewed 1,444 (out of total 8,589) Conservative Councillors in England and Wales by online survey between 22nd August and 6th September 2013.

 

Full results

 

Q1.  Would you support or oppose an electoral pact with UKIP in the run-up to the next General Election?

 

·         Support 22%

·         Oppose 66%

·         Don’t know 10%

·         Not stated 1%

 

Q2.  Which of these descriptions do you think sums up the view of most people in your local area towards David Cameron:

 

·         Good leader 61%

·         Arrogant 23%

·         In touch with ordinary people 26%

·         Has the right ideas for steering Britain in the right direction 62%

·         Is trustworthy 57%

·         Listens to the views of the Party’s grassroots 22%

·         Not stated 11%

 

Q3.  Which of these descriptions do you think sums up the view of most people in your local area towards George Osborne:

 

·         Good leader 18%

·         Arrogant 38%

·         In touch with ordinary people 11%

·         Has the right ideas for steering Britain in the right direction 57%

·         Is trustworthy 41%

·         Listens to the views of the Party’s grassroots 15%

·         Not stated 15%

 

Q4.  Do you agree or disagree with these statements? Agree / disagree / don’t know

 

·         Legalising gay marriage will cost my party more votes than it gains at the next Election (Agree 63%, Disagree 18%, Don’t know 16%, Not stated 3%)

 

·         I support the Government’s pledge to commit 0.7% of UK GDP to international aid (Agree 28%, Disagree 62%, Don’t know 6%, Not Stated 4%)

 

Q5.  Would you say that, on balance, immigration has had a positive, neutral or negative impact on Britain over the last 30 years?

 

·         On balance immigration has had a positive impact on Britain 26%

·         On balance immigration has had a neutral impact on Britain 19%

·         On balance immigration has had a negative impact on Britain 54%

·         Not stated 2%

 

Q6.  Which of these views about climate change is closest to your own?

 

·         Climate change is happening and is mainly caused by human activity 32%

·         Climate change is happening but human activity is not mainly responsible for it 50%

·         Climate change is not happening 8%

·         Don’t know 9%

·         Not stated 1%