Populus - Tories 6 points ahead

Populus's monthly poll for the Times had topline voting intentions, with changes from last month, of CON 39%(+2), LAB 33%(-1), LDEM 17%(-2). The poll was conducted between the 4th and 6th April.

While Populus tend to be the pollster that produces the most favourable figures for Labour, this poll should probably be seen as good news for them. The difference in methodologies between Populus and ICM is only small, so a poll showing a Tory lead of only 6 points is a lot better for the government than other recent polls (though it does show what a sorry state Labour have got to that we can consider a poll that shows them 6 points behind to be comparatively good!).

Looking beneath the headline voting intention figures there is little else to comfort the government. Labour are now seen as less competent than the Conservative party (last September during the Brown boost 56% thought Labour were competent, now 37% do), 67% think Brown is all talk and no action. Only 5% think Brown has done better than they expected as PM, with 36% thinking he has done worse, a pathetic 3% think Brown has made a real difference to Britain - 62% think he has made no difference at all. 70% think the country is headed in the wrong direction and it goes on... Labour will be happy that this poll shows a comparatively small lead, one that would leave the Tories long short of a majority, but the rest of the figures remain dire.