Nicholas Watt writes:
Voters in the "squeezed middle" are
flocking to the Labour party after Ed Miliband
pledged to freeze fuel bills for 20 months if he wins the next general
election, according to a new poll that shows a dramatic fall in support for the
Liberal Democrats.
As energy prices dominated prime minister's questions for the fourth week in a row on Wednesday, in the wake of Miliband's speech to the Labour conference last month, the YouGov poll shows a 14-point increase in support for Labour among voters classified as members of the "squeezed middle". Support for the Liberal Democrats in this group has fallen by 21 points while the Tories have seen their support fall by five points.
Peter Kellner, the president of YouGov, writes in an article for Progress magazine: "Ed Miliband has won the battle; his challenge now is to win the war. His attack on Britain's energy companies struck a nerve: they are now hated even more than the banks. His call for a 20-month freeze in gas and electricity prices, pending measures to make the energy market more competitive, left the Conservatives floundering."
Kellner estimates that the "squeezed middle" – people in the ABC1 social groups under the age of 60 who feel they are struggling to make ends meet – account for 26% of the electorate.
Labour has increased its support among this group from 32% at the time of the last election in 2010 to 46% this month – a 14-point increase. The Lib Dems have seen their support among this group fall from 29% to 8% – a 21-point fall. The Tories have seen a five-point fall – from 32% to 27%.
But the poll also suggests Labour needs to tread with care as it draws up its tax and spending plans for the 2015 election. It found support among the "squeezed middle" and "comfortable middle" for lower taxes in the next year if public finances improve (40% and 35% respectively for the two groups) when voters are asked what would be best for their family. But support for lower taxes falls (16% and 14% respectively) when they are asked what would be best for Britain.
The poll found low support for reducing the government's debts (12% and 18% among the two "middle" groups) when voters are asked what is best for their families. This rises to 34% and 46% among the two groups when voters are asked what is best for Britain.
Kellner writes: "The challenge is to fend off the charges from the Conservatives that are bound to follow: that Labour is taking risks by using any spare cash to do these things rather than paying down the government debt. Labour must also resist the temptation to devote any spare money purely to public services. If all the extra money is used to increase spending and none to easing the strain on voters who do not feel comfortably off, then the party is likely to be punished at the election."
As energy prices dominated prime minister's questions for the fourth week in a row on Wednesday, in the wake of Miliband's speech to the Labour conference last month, the YouGov poll shows a 14-point increase in support for Labour among voters classified as members of the "squeezed middle". Support for the Liberal Democrats in this group has fallen by 21 points while the Tories have seen their support fall by five points.
Peter Kellner, the president of YouGov, writes in an article for Progress magazine: "Ed Miliband has won the battle; his challenge now is to win the war. His attack on Britain's energy companies struck a nerve: they are now hated even more than the banks. His call for a 20-month freeze in gas and electricity prices, pending measures to make the energy market more competitive, left the Conservatives floundering."
Kellner estimates that the "squeezed middle" – people in the ABC1 social groups under the age of 60 who feel they are struggling to make ends meet – account for 26% of the electorate.
Labour has increased its support among this group from 32% at the time of the last election in 2010 to 46% this month – a 14-point increase. The Lib Dems have seen their support among this group fall from 29% to 8% – a 21-point fall. The Tories have seen a five-point fall – from 32% to 27%.
But the poll also suggests Labour needs to tread with care as it draws up its tax and spending plans for the 2015 election. It found support among the "squeezed middle" and "comfortable middle" for lower taxes in the next year if public finances improve (40% and 35% respectively for the two groups) when voters are asked what would be best for their family. But support for lower taxes falls (16% and 14% respectively) when they are asked what would be best for Britain.
The poll found low support for reducing the government's debts (12% and 18% among the two "middle" groups) when voters are asked what is best for their families. This rises to 34% and 46% among the two groups when voters are asked what is best for Britain.
Kellner writes: "The challenge is to fend off the charges from the Conservatives that are bound to follow: that Labour is taking risks by using any spare cash to do these things rather than paying down the government debt. Labour must also resist the temptation to devote any spare money purely to public services. If all the extra money is used to increase spending and none to easing the strain on voters who do not feel comfortably off, then the party is likely to be punished at the election."
No comments:
Post a Comment