New Populus Poll – Labour Lead Static at 8%
There is a new Populus poll in tomorrow’s Times which shows Labour holding its 8% lead over the Conservatives:
Conservative 33% (no change)
Labour 41% (no change)
Lib Dem 9% (down 1%)
UKIP 5%
This is consistent with most other recent polling showing Labour’s lead steady at 8-10%.
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About Richard…
Richard is a Conservative Councillor on Reading Borough Council representing Peppard ward since 2007, having been re-elected in May 2011. He previously represented Thames ward from 2001 to 2004. He is currently the Conservative Shadow Cabinet Member for Strategic Planning and Transport on Reading Borough Council. Richard stood for Parliament in Sutton and Cheam in 2005 and from 2005-2008 was Chief of Staff to Rob Wilson MP (Reading East). He has a wide range of media appearances under his belt including Newsnight, Channel 4 News and BBC Radio.
If there is anything that you would like to contact Richard about please email rik_w07@ntlworld.com. All emails will be treated in confidence.
This is his personal blog and comments and articles do not necessarily reflect the views of the Conservative Party or Reading Borough Council.
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Much as I would have expected. Labour maintain their lead. I was disappointed but not surprised that Cameron did not enoble some of his time-served backbenchers as he is obviously afraid of losing the seat(s) in the subsequent by-election. It would be good to have a by-election in a Conservative held seat to test the waters in a real poll.
Steve – it is quite rare for a PM to enoble a sitting MP thus causing a by-election. I can’t think of the last time this happened, can you?
Labour’s lead seems to be quite fragile and still below where many of us had expected it to be at mid-term in this Parliament. It will be interesting to see whether Labour can maintain a lead over the next 12 months. They should do but at the end of last year Cameron’s EU veto caused a significant (but temporary) shift.
Richard,. Maggie ennobled William Whitelaw after a General Election, the Conservatives held the seat Penrith but with a reduced majority. John Major ennobled David Waddington as soon as he became PM as he wanted rid of him as Home Secretary as Waddington had a REAL Tory’s attitude towards punishing criminals which did not suit Major’s Liberal outlook.
Harold Wilson lost many seats at by-elections 1967-1970 when he gave MPs for apparently safe Labour seats Peerages although he won many of these back at the 1970 General Election although he lost that to Heath.
Steve – I think that rather makes my point that it is a very rare event these days! Major became PM over 20 years ago and that is the most recent example you or I can think of.
It used to be more common as a reward to MPs who had been in Parliament for a while especially former Ministers.
Now I accept that since the introduction of Life Peerages and especially the mess that Blair made of the House of Lords a Peerage has lost much of its appeal, but I do wonder how big a part fear of losing a by-election has played in preventing PMs both labour and Tory since Major from ennobling sitting MPs, former Ministers etc.