Labour and Conservatives both suffer in first post-expenses poll
The first poll since the Telegraph began reporting the details of MPs expenses suggests the public are taking a plague on all your houses approach (or at least, a plague on both your houses, since the Liberal Democrats haven't suffered).
The topline figures, with changes from Populus's last poll, are CON 39%(-4), LAB 26%(-4), LDEM 22%(+4). Other parties are at 13%, up four points (though it's worth noting that this isn't some sort of unprecedented boost which that might imply, Populus have quite often had "others" up at 12% over the last year).
This is the first poll of 2009 to show the Conservatives below 40%, and leaving aside ICM, who always give them a higher level of support, it is the highest level of support the Liberal Democrats have recorded since 2006. It is the highest figure Populus have given them since 2005. It's tempted to ascribe this solely to the expenses scandal, though it's worth remembering that this is also one of the first polls since the government's defeat over Gurkhas, an issue that the Liberal Democrats lead upon.
The poll was conducted between Friday and Sunday, so after the Telegraph had begun publishing Labour expenses, but prior to them turning the focus onto the Conservatives. Whether that means the Conservatives will suffer more damage in coming days is debatable, given that the public already seem to be putting just as much blame on them as the government. Asked specifically if "all the parties were as bad as each other", 86% of people agreed. 79% of people also rejected the defence that MPs were acting within the rules, agreeing with the statement "if MPs had any integrity they would never have claimed for the cost of many things they did".
Finally Populus asked their regular question of asking the public to rate the party leaders out of ten. Gordon Brown's rating stands at 4.47, down from where it was at the end of last year when it got up to 5.04, but substantialluy above the depths it reached in the summer of 2008. David Cameron stands at 5.39 the highest of any Tory leader since Populus began the question 6 years ago. Nick Clegg is at 4.71, his highest figure so far and now above any score that Ming Campbell achieved, though Charles Kennedy was more positively regarded.
