More people want Labour than Tories
By Ian Dunt
More people want a Labour government than a Conservative one, despite sky-high disapproval ratings for the government.
A Populus poll for the Times today found that given a straight choice 44 per cent of people would prefer a Labour government and 42 per cent a Tory one, despite 72 per cent saying they were dissatisfied with Labour.
The finding is bad news for David Cameron and further evidence that while the public has fallen deeply out of love with Labour, it has not exactly fallen in love with the Conservatives.
Interestingly, Labour’s poll performance actually improved over the last fortnight, rising three points to 24 per cent, while the Tories fell five points to 36 per cent. The Liberal Democrats rose four points to 19 per cent.
But there is much in the poll for Mr Cameron to be pleased with.
He and shadow chancellor George Osborne have 39 per cent trust with the economy while Gordon Brown and Alistair Darling are on 27 per cent.
Only 22 per cent of people think Mr Brown is the right man to lead the country, while 44 per cent support the Tory leader.
The poll also held evidence of increased optimism in the economy, with 32 per cent saying the country could ‘fare well’ in the next year, versus 63 per cent who said it would fare badly.
That compares to 18 per cent saying it would perform well in January.
