Independent Political Poll

Telephone political poll, including voting intention for The Independent.

Date Published: 18 May 2014

Categories: Politics | Public and communities | Social | UK

Description

 

Ed Miliband makes four out of 10 people less likely to vote Labour but the party’s policies make it more attractive to one in three people, according to a ComRes survey for The Independent.

It shows that Labour has a five-point lead, in line with the six point lead it enjoyed in last month’s ComRes poll for the newspaper. Labour is now on 35 per cent (down  one point); the Conservatives on 30 per cent (unchanged); Ukip on 14 per cent (up two points); the Liberal Democrats on 8 per cent (down one point) and others on 13 per cent (unchanged).

Only 6 per cent of people said having Mr Miliband as Labour leader made them more likely to support the party, while 40 per cent said it made them less likely to do so and 53 per cent said it made no difference. The record of the previous Labour Government is also a barrier. Some 38 per cent say it made them less likely to vote for the party, with 9 per cent thinking it made them more likely to do so and 52 per cent believing it made no difference.

But 32 per cent of people said Labour’s proposals for government, such as freezing energy prices and raising the top rate of income tax, made them more likely to support the party, while 17 per said it made them less likely to do so and 50 per cent that it made no difference.

 

More people (19 per cent) said the rise in Ukip’s popularity made them more likely to vote Labour than believed it made them less likely to support Mr Miliband’s party (14 per cent), with 65 per cent saying it made no difference.

 

Tom Mludzinski, Head of Political Polling at ComRes said, “Labour are still holding onto a stubborn lead in the polls with the Conservatives unable to make significant inroads. That lead appears, however, to be despite Ed Miliband leading the Party and not because of it. Although the Party’s policies gain some traction the public remain unconvinced by his leadership.”

 

 

 

Methodology Note: ComRes interviewed 1,008 GB adults by telephone between 16 and 18 May, 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.