|
Poll analysis: Friday April 15
MORI chairman Sir Robert Worcester analyses the latest opinion poll data.
Yesterday was the salience of issues, today I'll look at differentiation between the parties among those regarding the issues as electorially important to them personally.
As can be seen, Labour has a strong lead over the Tories on the top two issues in terms of their importance - health care and education - among those electors who say these issues are very important in helping them decide how to vote .
On the former Labour leads by 14 points, and on education 15 per cent, over the Tories, with the Liberal Democrats well behind even their share of voting intention, plagued by the fact that they won't be in a position to put their policies into effect.
But although Labour enjoys a healthy lead on the top two issues, they have haemorrhaged badly since 2001 with their lead over the Tories cut in about half.
The Tories lead on the third issue, crime and law and order, with a 12 point lead, whereas the two parties were neck and neck four years ago.
On pensions, I suspect somewhat to Labour's surprise, there's not much to choose between them. But on taxation, and hugely on asylum seekers and immigration, the Tories have hit pay dirt, especially if the immigration issue can run until polling day.
Among the issue in the second division, but still important to millions of electors, two stand out.
Iraq is only of importance to one person in six but the Liberal Democrats get recognition for their stand against the war, with nearly four people in 10 saying their policy in opposing it was to their liking, double the score for Labour and quadruple for the Tories.
And animal welfare, of concern to 14 per cent, where Labour records a 15 per cent lead after abolishing fox hunting.
Tomorrow and Sunday while I'm in the USA, Paul Baines, principal lecturer in marketing at Middlesex University who is on secondment to MORI, will stand in for me. Paul, over to you. I'll be back next week.
|
