UK Election: (Liberal Democrat) Clegg Poll Lead Slashes Chances Of Tory Win [View All]

Source: Sky News

A second opinion poll has put the Liberal Democrats in the lead as Nick Clegg's popularity continues to rocket after the first leaders' debate - apparently scuppering David Cameron's chances of an outright win.

A YouGov survey for the Sun puts the Liberal Democrats on 33%, the Conservatives on 32% and Labour third on 26%.

It follows a BPIX poll for the Mail on Sunday which showed the party out in front for the first time in decades.

Although the results suggest Mr Clegg is currently the most popular leader, his party is still likely to trail in third place in terms of the number of seats they win on May 6.

Read more: http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/Politics/Election-YouGov-Poll-Is-Second-To-Put-Nick-Cleggs-Liberal-Democrats-In-The-Lead/Article/201004315608624?lpos=Politics_First_Poilitics_Article_Teaser_Regi_0&lid=ARTICLE_15608624_Election:_YouGov_Poll_Is_Second

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In fact, this is the first time they have been in front during a general election in 104 years. It's ironic that the polls are coming from the Conservatives own tabloids (the Sun and the Mail).

I've posted more on this here: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x8172753">UK Election: For the 1st time in 104 years the Liberal Democrats are leading Labour & Conservatives

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Lib Dem poll surge continues

New Statesman
Published 19 April 2010

Dramatic increase in support continues as new YouGov poll puts the Lib Dems in first place.

The dramatic increase in support for the Liberal Democrats has continued, according to a new opinion poll which puts the party ahead of Labour and the Conservatives.

The latest daily YouGov survey for the Sun put the Lib Dems up four points to 33 per cent, the Tories down one to 32 per cent and Labour down four to 26 per cent. But if repeated on a uniform swing at the election, the latest figures would leave Labour as the largest single party in a hung parliament. According to UK Polling Report's swing calculator, Gordon Brown would be 79 seats short of an overall majority.

The surge in support for the Lib Dems since Nick Clegg's performance in the first televised leaders' debate, means that the party has now overtaken Labour in the New Statesman Poll of Polls. The Conservatives remain ahead on 32 per cent, with the Lib Dems just behind on 30 per cent and Labour in third place on 28 per cent. If repeated on a uniform swing, the figures would again leave Labour as the largest party, 49 seats short of a majority

From: http://www.newstatesman.com/2010/04/lib-dems-poll-labour-continues


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Clegg Calls U.K. Vote System ‘Potty,’ Says Party Ties Weakening

By Scott Hamilton and Kitty Donaldson

April 19 (Bloomberg) -- Nick Clegg, the leader of Britain’s No. 3 party that has surged into the lead in opinion polls, called the election system broken and said traditional allegiances are weakening.

The forecast failure of the Liberal Democrats’ popular support to translate into parliamentary seats is “potty,” Clegg told reporters today in Cardiff, Wales.

“There’s s fluidity in this election that we haven’t seen in a generation,” Clegg told reporters. “The old anchors, the old patterns, the old established routines that govern elections are breaking down.”

More: http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-04-19/clegg-calls-u-k-vote-system-potty-says-party-ties-weakening.html

Full "potty" quote:

Mr Clegg said: "Self-evidently, the electoral system is potty. Any electoral system which, according to some projections I've seen, could deliver a party with the most seats which actually comes third in proportion of the votes is hardly a model of democratic fairness."

From: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5hcTwz2f5GpnBqyQsKY6MVs7cN4Gw