YouGov/Times - Remain 41%, Leave 42%
Following on from the ORB and ICM polls at the start of the week, there are two more EU polls today that both have small movements towards Leave. YouGov in the Times have topline figures of REMAIN 41%(+1), LEAVE 42%(+3), DK/WNV 17%(-4), while Survation for IG have topline figures of REMAIN 45%(-1), LEAVE 38%(+3), DK 17%(-2). I'm dubious about whether this is an Obama effect, but it does put to bed the idea that the series of polls last week showing a movement towards Remain was the start of some sort of breakthrough.
An interesting thing about the YouGov poll - while their headline EU voting intention figures have changed very little over the last few months, there has been movement in Remain's favour on the economic argument. Back in February people thought Britain would be worse off outside the EU by only a two point margin, it's now thirteen points (35% worse off, 22% better off). YouGov's regular EU questions have also shown increasing belief that leaving the EU would be bad for jobs, and bad for people's personal finances. Yet this hasn't translated into any movement in the headline figures.
This may be because it's being balanced out by factors favouring Leave, like immigration or the NHS, or it may be that the economic argument hasn't started to bite yet. I'm reminded of the experience of Scotland, where people swung towards YES during the campaign despite telling pollsters they thought that an independent Scotland would be worse off economically... but ended up swinging in favour of risk aversion and what they thought was their best economic interest in the final fortnight. Anyway, time will tell.
Finally YouGov have voting intention figures of CON 30%, LAB 33%, LDEM 6%, UKIP 20%. That twenty percent for UKIP is a record high from YouGov, though I am a little dubious about it. While it seems perfectly feasible that during a referendum campaign the only significant political party backing one side of the argument may get a boost in support, we haven't seen such a big boost in support echoed in any other polling. Wait to see if that's reflected in any other polling before getting too excited.
