ITV News Index

 ComRes interviewed 2,052 British adults online between 13^th and 15^th September 2013.  Data were weighted to be demographically representative of all GB adults aged 18+. ComRes is a member of the British Polling Council and abides by its rules.

Date Published: 17 Sep 2013

Categories: Energy | Media | Politics | Public and communities | Technology & Telecoms | UK

Description

COMRES/ ITV NEWS POLL: BRITS REJECT COALITIONS BUT PREFER LIB DEMS WITH TORIES OVER LABOUR

 

The latest Index poll conducted by ComRes for ITV News reveals that two thirds of the British public (67%) would prefer there to be a single party majority government than a coalition after the next election. Just 10% disagree.

In the event of another hung Parliament, half of the population (51%) agree that they would prefer a one party minority government than a coalition. One in five (19%) say they would not prefer this.

However, given the choice about who they would prefer the Liberal Democrats to go into coalition with, the public slightly prefers Liberal Democrats with the Conservatives, than going into coalition with the Labour Party. Three in ten (29%) would prefer the Liberal Democrats to go into coalition with the Conservatives than with Labour, compared to one quarter (26%) who say they would prefer the Liberal Democrats to go into coalition with Labour, than with the Conservatives.

More than half of the British population (51%) feel that the Conservatives have benefited more from the Coalition than the Liberal Democrats have, but this is down 10 percentage points since the 2011 Conference season.

Nearly half of the public (46%) say that the Liberal Democrats’ contribution to the current Coalition Government has not been good for Britain, but a third (30%) agree that the party has “reined in the worst excesses” of the Conservatives. A similar proportion disagrees with the statement (32%), and two in five do not know (39%). There are some differences between classes in attitudes, with three in ten from AB social grades (31%) agreeing that the Liberal Democrats’ contribution to the Coalition has been good for the country, compared to just a fifth of those from C1 (21%), C2 (21%) and DE (22%) social grades.

 

Full results:

Do you agree or disagree with each of the following statements?

Statement	Agree	Disagree	Don’t know	NET
I would prefer one party to win outright at the next General Election rather than there being a Coalition	67%	10%	23%	+57
In the event of a Hung Parliament after the next election, I would prefer a single party government without a majority rather than a coalition	51%	19%	29%	+32
In the event of a Hung Parliament after the next election, I would prefer the Liberal Democrats to go into coalition with the Conservatives than with Labour	29%	41%	31%	-12
In the event of a Hung Parliament after the next election, I would prefer the Liberal Democrats to go into coalition with Labour than with the Conservatives	26%	43%	31%	-17

 Base: All respondents (n=2,052).  

Statement	Agree	Disagree	Don’t know	NET
The Conservatives have benefited more from the Coalition than the Liberal Democrats have	51% (-10)	19% (+1)	30% (+9)	+32
In the current Coalition government, the Liberal Democrats have reined in the worst excesses of the Conservative Party	30%	32%	39%	-2
Overall, the Liberal Democrats’ contribution to the current Coalition Government has been good for Britain	24%	46%	30%	-22

 

Base: All respondents (n=2,052). Numbers in parentheses are change from September 2011.