Angus Reid Global Monitor : Polls & Research

Six-Point Advantage for Labour in Britain

September 26, 2007
Abstract: (Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Britain’s governing party is enjoying a stable period of popularity, according to a poll by ICM Research published in the Sunday Mirror. 39 per cent of respondents would vote for the Labour party in the next election to the House of Commons.

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Britain’s governing party is enjoying a stable period of popularity, according to a poll by ICM Research published in the Sunday Mirror. 39 per cent of respondents would vote for the Labour party in the next election to the House of Commons.

The opposition Conservative party is second with 33 per cent, followed by the Liberal Democrats with 19 per cent. Support for Labour fell by one point in four days, while backing for the Tories increased by the same margin.

In June, 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 March 2006, the Liberal Democrats chose foreign affairs spokesman Menzies Campbell as their new leader.

On Sept. 24, Campbell urged Brown to reveal whether he will call a snap election in the fall and accused him of causing chaos in the country by not clarifying rumours about it. The Liberal Democrat leader declared: "This unnecessary and destabilizing guessing game is the most powerful argument yet for fixed-term four year parliaments, an idea which the Labour party enthusiastically backed in 1992."

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

If there were to be a general election tomorrow, which party do you think you would vote for?

 

Sept. 20

Sept. 16

Aug. 23

Labour

39%

40%

39%

Conservative

33%

32%

35%

Liberal Democrat

19%

20%

18%

Other

9%

8%

8%

Source: ICM Research / Sunday Mirror
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,029 British adults, conducted on Sept. 19 and Sept. 20, 2007. No margin of error was provided.