(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Britain’s Conservative party continues to lead its rivals but has lost a significant amount of public support this month, according to a poll by Communicate Research published in The Independent. 39 per cent of respondents would vote for the opposition party in the next election to the House of Commons, down five points since early September.

The governing Labour is second with 27 per cent followed by the Liberal Democrats with 21 per cent. 13 per cent of respondents would vote for other parties. Labour has gained two points in two weeks, while support for the Liberal Democrats increased by four points.

In June 2007, Gordon Brown officially became Labour leader and prime minister, replacing Tony Blair. Brown had worked as chancellor of the exchequer. Blair served as Britain’s prime minister since May 1997, winning majority mandates in the 1997, 2001 and 2005 elections to the House of Commons.

Since December 2005, David Cameron has been the leader of the Conservative party. In October 2007, Cameron challenged Brown to call a snap election, but the prime minister later announced he would not hold an early ballot.

In December 2007, current parliamentarian Nick Clegg became the new leader of the Liberal Democrats, defeating environment spokesman Chris Huhne in a leadership ballot by just over 500 votes.

On Sept. 18, Clegg said that Labour "is finished," adding, "The Liberal Democrats are now the only party that can deliver social justice, the only choice for anyone who wants a fairer Britain. If you were drawn to Labour in the 1990s because you believed in a better future, because you were filled with hope that things would get better, join us. We are the ones who can make it happen."

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?

Source: Communicate Research / The Independent
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,010 British adults, conducted on Sept. 17 and Sept. 18, 2008. Margin of error is 3 per cent.

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