(Angus Reid Global Scan) - The opposition Conservative party holds a considerable advantage in Britain, according to a poll by Mori published in The Observer. 40 per cent of respondents would support the Tories in the next general election.

The governing Labour party is second with 31 per cent, followed by the Liberal Democrats with 21 per cent. Eight per cent of respondents would vote for other parties. Support for the Tories increased by six points since May, while backing for Labour fell by five points.

In May, 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. In the 2001 election, Labour elected 413 parliamentarians. Prime minister Tony Blair has headed the government since 1997.

Last week, the member nations of the European Union (EU) agreed on a seven-year budget for the continental organization. Yesterday, new Conservative leader David Cameron said Blair failed "in every single one" of his objectives during the talks with other European leaders. The prime minister said not helping new EU members would have been "a betrayal of everything Britain has rightly stood for."

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. In October 2004, Blair vowed to retire at the end of his third term in office.

As far as the most capable prime minister, current chancellor of the exchequer Gordon Brown of the Labour party is first with 31 per cent, followed by Cameron with 27 per cent, and Lib-Dem leader Charles Kennedy with 13 per cent.

Polling Data

How would you vote if there were a general election tomorrow? Which party are you most inclined to support?
(Certain voters)

Who would make the most capable prime minister?

Archive Search

Over 19,600 Polls
Search the Angus Reid Global Monitor Polls & Research archive.