Polls & Research

Tories Reach 40%, Labour Stable in Britain

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Public support for the opposition Conservative party increased last month in Britain, according to a poll by Communicate Research published in The Independent. 40 per cent of respondents would vote for the Tories in the next general election.

The governing Labour party is second with 29 per cent, followed by the Liberal Democrats with 17 per cent. 14 per cent of respondents would vote for other parties. Support for the Tories increased by six points since January, while backing for Labour remained stable.

In May 2005, British voters renewed the House of Commons. The Labour party secured 356 seats, followed by the Conservatives with 197 and the Liberal Democrats with 62. Labour leader Tony Blair has served as prime minister since 1997. In September 2006, Blair announced his eventual retirement from politics. Current chancellor of the exchequer Gordon Brown has been mentioned as his possible replacement.

Since December 2005, David Cameron has been the leader of the Conservative party. In March 2006, the Liberal Democrats chose foreign affairs spokesman Menzies Campbell as their new leader.

Last month, Brown discussed the possibility of enticing immigrants to become involved in community service as a prerequisite for citizenship, declaring, "Being a British citizen is about more than a test, more than a ceremony; it's a kind of contract between the citizen and the country involving rights, but also involving responsibilities that will protect and enhance the British way of life."

Conservative shadow home secretary David Davis dismissed the statement as a "headline-grabbing initiative of very little substance", adding, "Gordon Brown's proposals are ill thought-out and could actually be damaging. What about a doctor who has been here for some years, decides to become a UK citizen, and then has to stop working in the NHS for a period of time to do Mr Brown's community service?"

The next election to the House of Commons must be held on or before Jun. 3, 2010. Sitting prime ministers can dissolve Parliament and call an early ballot at their discretion.

Polling Data

What party would you vote for in the next general election?