Posted on 12/11/2005 3:35:44 PM PST by West Coast Conservative
DAVID CAMERON’S debut as Tory leader has given the Conservatives a surge of support that has put them ahead of Labour for the first time in 18 months, a Sunday Times poll shows. The YouGov poll of more than 2,000 people, carried out since Cameron was declared leader of the party on Tuesday, reveals that the Tories have turned a two-point deficit to a one-point lead.
Cameron’s victory has pushed the Tories up to 37% of the vote, two points up on last month, while Labour is down one to 36%. The Liberal Democrats have also been squeezed, down two to 18%.
Even more dramatic is the swing in Tory fortunes since the early autumn, before the start of the leadership contest. Then, Labour had an eight-point lead. The Tories were last in the lead in June 2004, when Tony Blair was under intense pressure over Iraq.
Another finding in the YouGov poll will cause panic in Labour circles. Cameron’s approval rating, with a net 34% of people expecting him to do well, is well above that for Blair and Charles Kennedy, the Lib Dem leader.
More significantly, it easily outstrips Gordon Brown’s rating, which has slumped. His net approval rating was 41% before the general election; now it is just 4%.
The good showing for Cameron is a reflection of how he has handled his first few days in the job, especially his performance at prime minister’s questions in the Commons when he said Blair was the future once.
In another poll, by ICM for The Sunday Telegraph, the Tories have moved into a two-point lead. They are on 37%, with Labour on 35% and the Lib Dems on 21%. ICM polled just over 1,000 people.
(Excerpt) Read more at timesonline.co.uk ...
David Cameron said he wants the Tories to be the party of "Compassionate Conservatism." I wonder where he heard that?
That includes Tories' support for 'the environment.' I wish Thatcher would take the time to whack these idiots with her cane.
Okay, Brit-friends of FR...let me ask: Is Tony Blair the only reliable friend of America in the Labour Party? Should we be rooting for David Cameron and the Tories??
A 3% jump. Whoo!
1992. Only then it was conservative compassion.
I think the most important feature of these polls is that the public have finally realised that the dour socialist Gordon Brown is taxing them to hell, and has messed up the economy, hence his embarassment at completely misjudging the economic growth figures. As even one of the anchors on the BBC said, a net approval rating drop from +41% to just +4% is a hell of a drop. This is even before the new Conservative leadership have had a chance to fully begin their line of attack on him.
Damn torries, I thought we put an end to them in 1776?/kidding
I watched the C-SPAN Sunday night repeat of Prime Minister's Questions and I thought that Cameron had a good debut. He took a positive tone and when he told Blair, "You were the future once," Blair looked stunned. On the other hand, Blair who is a good debater chopped the pitiful Charles Kennedy (Lib Dem) and the smarmy Alek Salmon (Scot Nat)into little pieces before spitting them out.
The party of "Compassionate Conservatism"? I'd rather be part of the "Blow em to the stone age" Conservative Party...8-D
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.