New ICM and Populus polls

Share

A selection of polls out tonight (the regular polls from MORI, ComRes, ICM and Populus all seem to be clustering towards the end of the month, meaning we have a fortnight or so of just YouGov, then everyone else comes at once).

First up ICM for the Guardian have topline figures of CON 36%(+1), LAB 38%(-1), LDEM 14%(+1), Others 12%(-1). Changes are from their poll a month ago and, self-evidently, show very little change: a small Labour lead, but with a higher Lib Dem score than other pollsters tend to show.

The rest of ICM's poll dealt with the economy and the Eurozone. Asked what is to blame for the latest economic slowdown, 30% of people said the last Labour government's debts, 24% the current government's cuts, 19% the banks refusing to lend and 18% the Eurozone. As in the YouGov poll at the weekend, people were very evenly split on whether the government are following the correct economic course - 46% said Osborne should slow the cuts, 44% that he should stick to his plans.

Secondly we have Populus for the Times. Topline figures there are CON 33%(nc), LAB 41%(nc), LDEM 13%(+5), Others 13%(-4). The rather incongruous 8 point lead in Populus's last poll is therefore maintained for a second month, though they show a sharp increase in Lib Dem support. To some degree this will a reversion to the mean after an unusually low Lib Dem score last month - like ICM Populus reallocate don't knows to the party they voted for last time, so 8% for the Lib Dems really was extremely low. Nevertheless, even by Populus's standards it is a boost for the Lib Dems, their highest from Populus this year.

Populus also asked about people's preferred team on the economy, finding 40% trusted Cameron, Osborne and Clegg compared to 26% who trusted Miliband and Balls.

This morning there was also a voting intention poll from Survation, the first I am aware of. They would appear to be using an almost identical approach to that of ICM, except they reallocate don't knows at a slightly lower rate than ICM do. The poll was conducted between the 2nd and 9th November, so it's rather out of date now, but the topline figures for the record were CON 38%, LAB 39%, LDEM 12%, Others 11%.

To come later tonight there is also the daily YouGov poll for the Sun.