Articles | Tories popularity high

Tories popularity high

Published: Thursday, 18 September 2008, 8:38AM

Suppport for the Conservative party has broken through the 50 per cent mark for the first time since the heyday of Margaret Thatcher.

The Ipsos MORI survey put the Tories on 52 per cent - up four points since a similar poll last month - among those certain to vote, with Labour unchanged on 24 per cent and the Liberal Democrats down four to 12 per cent.

The 28-point Conservative lead and the party's share of voting intentions are the highest ever recorded by Ipsos MORI.

The last time the Tories hit the halfway mark in any poll was in August 1988, a year after Lady Thatcher's third general election win.

Julia Clark, head of political research at Ipsos MORI, said: "This poll paints a very bad picture for both Labour and the Liberal Democrats."

"While the Lib Dem share is relatively unchanged amongst all voters, it has dropped off notably amongst those who are certain to vote; this suggests that the 'core' of the Lib Dem vote may be softening and perhaps moving towards the Tories, who have repositioned themselves successfully on issues like the environment and family."

The Conservative party was rated ahead of Labour on a range of key characteristics, with respondents saying the Tories have the best team of leaders and best understand the economic problems facing Britain.

The Liberal Democrats' 12 per cent rating among those certain to vote marks the party's lowest ebb for almost a year, and suggests that weekend publicity about leader Nick Clegg's tax-cutting plans failed to make an immediate impact.

Ms Clark said: "While the public appear somewhat sympathetic to Brown's plight - half think he is doing a reasonable job in difficult circumstances - equal numbers are confident in the Tories' ability to govern.

"The Conservatives lead by a large margin in terms of being seen to have the best team of leaders and also best understanding Britain's current economic problems."