YouGov London poll shows Khan ahead

I'm just catching up on the YouGov London poll earlier in the week for LBC - full tabs are here. Last May Labour enjoyed a solid swing in their favour in London and ended up nine points ahead of the Tories, they've largely maintained that support - YouGov's London voting intention figures with changes from the general election are CON 37%(+2), LAB 44%(nc), LDEM 4%(-4), UKIP 11%(+3), GRN 2%(-3).

London mayoral voting intentions are KHAN 45%, GOLDSMITH 35%, WHITTLE 6%, BERRY 5%, PIDGEON 4%, GALLOWAY 2%. Sadiq Khan's lead over Zac Goldsmith is slightly larger than the Labour lead, but not by very much. There are very few Tories saying they'd vote Khan or Labour voters saying they'd vote Goldsmith - essentially it looks like an electorate splitting along their normal partisan loyalties and in a city that tends to vote Labour that's a good sign for Sadiq Khan.

In the last two mayoral elections Boris Johnson managed to reach out beyond the usual Conservative vote, but he is a rather unique politician and it remains to be seen if Zac Goldsmith can do the same. It may be that current polls are just picking up people's default partisan loyalties, and that as we get closer to the election people people's votes will become more influenced by their attitudes towards Goldsmith and Khan. If they don't, Khan will have an obvious advantage in a city where Labour romped home in 2015 and where the direction of political movement is towards Labour.

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