Poll sees Tory lead increase
Gordon Brown’s Labour has suffered another hit in the polls, slipping three points against the Conservatives to trail by 16 points.
The poll was conducted over the weekend, immediately after the disastrous Glasgow East by-election which resulted in Labour losing a safe seat it had held in 2005 with a majority of over 13,500.
Labour slipped one point to 27 per cent on the last Populus poll for the Times newspaper, while the Tories were up two points to 43 per cent.
The Liberal Democrats slipped one per cent to 18 per cent while other parties held firm on 12 per cent.
According to the poll any attempt at replacing Mr Brown as leader of the party – a move openly proposed by Labour backbencher Gordon Prentice yesterday – would not make a real difference to the party’s electoral prospects.
Fifty-two per cent said the leadership issue would not have an impact, while the number of people believing a younger and more charismatic leader would not change public opinion rose three per cent to 44 per cent.
