Ipsos MORI show Tory lead down to two points

Ipsos MORI's monthly poll for the Evening Standard follows the trend we've seen in other recent polls of a tightening gap between Conservative and Labour. Topline figures are CON 36%(-3), LAB 34%(+1), LDEM 10%, UKIP 11%, GRN 3%.

They also echo YouGov's recent polling in showing strongly negative figures for George Osborne. Just after IDS's resignation YouGov found Osborne's ratings dropping to 17% good job, 58% bad job. MORI find very similar in their poll: before the budget they had Osborne's net approval rating at minus 6, now it has slumped to minus 33 (27% satisfied, 60% disatisfied). The budget gets a solid thumbs down in the MORI poll, 53% think it is bad for the country, 30% good for the country.

There was also new ComRes EU referendum poll yesterday, conducted for ITV. Topline voting intention figures were REMAIN 48%, LEAVE 41%, Don't know 11%. The seven point lead for remain is the smallest ComRes have so far shown in their telephone polls on the referendum (indeed, apart from the unusual ORB poll earlier this month it's the lowest lead any telephone poll has shown for Remain). Full details are here. It will be interesting to see what the EU voting intention figures are in the MORI poll, and whether that big gulf between online and telephone EU polling is narrowing a little.