Sunday Mirror / Independent on Sunday Political Poll

ComRes interviewed 2,029 GB adults online on 15 and 16 January 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.

Date Published: 19 Jan 2014

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

Description

The UK Independence Party is the most favourably regarded of all the main parties, according to a ComRes opinion poll exclusive to tomorrow's Independent on Sunday and Sunday Mirror. Although 19 per cent of voters say they would vote for UKIP in a general election, 27 per cent said that they had a "favourable” view of the party – just ahead of the 26 per cent who are favourable to the Labour Party, 25 per cent to the Conservative Party and 14 per cent to the Liberal Democrats.

Voting intention:

Con      30% +1
Lab       35% -1
LibDem 8% ±0
UKIP     19% +1
OtheR   8% -1

Change since last month's ComRes online poll. This would mean a Labour majority of 62 seats.

But the parties are ranked differently when respondents are asked: "Please indicate whether you have a favourable or unfavourable view of each of the following political leaders and parties."

Favourable: parties

UKIP 27%
Labour 26% -2 since June 2013
Con 25% +2
LibDem 14%

Favourable: leaders

David Cameron 27% +4
Nigel Farage 22%
Ed Miliband 18% -2
Nick Clegg 13%

(The favourable / unfavourable question was not asked about UKIP or the Lib Dems, and their leaders, in June 2013.) Although the differences between the top three parties are within the margin of error, that UKIP are this close will still be highly troubling for both Labour and the Conservatives.

UKIP is also the party regarded least unfavourably: 38% have an "unfavourable view" of it, compared with 45% for Labour, 49% for the Lib Dems and 50% for the Conservatives. The "unfavourable" figures are similar for the party leaders, although again David Cameron is better regarded than his party: 39% Nigel Farage, 48% David Cameron, 49% Ed Miliband and 52% Nick Clegg.

Q: Please indicate whether you have a favourable or unfavourable view of each of the following political leaders and parties…

	David Cameron	The Conservative Party generally	Ed Miliband	The Labour Party generally
Favourable	27%	25%	18%	26%
Unfavourable	48%	50%	49%	45%
Neither	19%	20%	24%	21%
Don’t know	5%	6%	8%	8%
% change Favourable from June 2013	+4	+2	-2	-2

 

	Nick Clegg	The Liberal Democrat Party generally	Nigel Farage	The UK Independence Party generally
Favourable	13%	14%	22%	27%
Unfavourable	52%	49%	39%	38%
Neither	27%	29%	23%	23%
Don’t know	8%	8%	17%	12%

It will worry the Conservatives that 23% of people saying they would currently vote for them say that they are favourable towards UKIP. Nor would it be easy to persuade current UKIP supporters to vote Conservative: 59% say that they are unfavourable towards the Prime Minister, and 55% say they are unfavourable towards the Conservative Party generally.

In other findings, Ed Miliband finds some support for his contention that the middle class has suffered more under the coalition than if Labour had been in government – but people say they would be even worse off if Miliband became prime minister than if Cameron were re-elected.

Despite a recent poll of Conservative members putting Theresa May ahead of Boris Johnson as a future leader, Johnson still has the edge over May among the general public, by 29% to 24%.

And support in the rest of the UK for Scottish independence has dropped sharply since ComRes last asked the question in May 2011.

Labour and the Middle Class

Middle-class families have become worse off under the Coalition Government than they would have been under Labour
Agree 37%
Disagree 27%
Don't know 36%

Middle-class families would be worse off if Ed Miliband becomes prime minister in 2015 than if David Cameron is re-elected
Agree 33%
Disagree 26%
Don't know 40%

Ed Miliband is an old-style left-winger
Agree 28%
Disagree 26%
Don't know 46%

People from AB social grades are much more likely to agree (40%) than disagree (25%) that middle class families would be worse off if Ed Miliband becomes prime minister in 2015 than if Cameron is re-elected.

Conservative leadership

Boris Johnson would make a better prime minister than Theresa May

Agree 29%
Disagree 27%
Don't know 45%

Theresa May would make a better prime minister than Boris Johnson

Agree 24%
Disagree 29%
Don't know 47%

Labour and Lib Dem voters are more likely to prefer Theresa May; Conservative and UKIP voters are more likely to prefer Boris Johnson; but the most popular answer is don't know.

Public spending

George Osborne is right to seek a further £12 billion in public spending cuts through reducing welfare benefits
Agree 35%
Disagree 40%

Don’t know 25%

Scottish independence

Scotland should be an independent country
Agree 23% -10 since May 2011
Disagree 49% +7

Don’t know 28% +3

Of the respondents from Scotland, n=187, one third (32% -6) agree that Scotland should be an independent country, while half (49% +3) disagree.

Swearing

There is too much bad language on TV and in films
Agree 50%
Disagree 35%

Don’t know 15%

Of people aged 65 and over, 77% agree, compared with just 28% of 18-24-year-olds.

ComRes interviewed 2,029 GB adults online on 15 and 16 January 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.