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New poll shows Tories set for overall election majority

26/02/2008

The Conservative party would have an overall majority at the next election, according to a new monthly poll.

A survey carried out by ComRes for the Independent newspaper shows that the Tories have opened an 11-point lead over Labour, a three-point increase on last month.

Labour support remains unchanged on 30 per cent - despite the controversy caused by the announcement of the nationalisation of Northern Rock - with the Liberal Democrats remaining on 17 per cent and other parties experiencing a three-point drop to 12 per cent.

Were these results to be repeated at the next general election, the Tories would win with an overall majority of 38.

The ComRes poll shows David Cameron's party to be leading Labour in every social class, enjoying a commanding 19 point lead in the top AB group and also taking the advantage among the traditionally-Labour DE stratum.

The survey also revealed an intriguing regional dispersal of voters, with Labour only ahead in Scotland and the Tories leading by a point in the Labour heartland of the North, an area set to be hit hard by the Northern Rock crisis.

The London mayoral campaign of Henley MP Boris Johnson will also be buoyed by the poll's indication that the Tories are ahead of Labour by 45 per cent to 30 in the south-east.

While around half of Labour supporters surveyed said they were "absolutely certain" to back Gordon Brown at the next election, some two-thirds of Tory supporters were prepared to say the same regarding David Cameron.

ComRes' telephone survey of 1,010 British adults was carried out between February 22nd and 24th.