Wednesday, February 10, 2010

November 22, 2009 16:51 PM

Poll boost for UK's Brown as Tories' lead slashed


Britain's Prime Minister Gordon Brown delivers a speech on immigration in London, November 12, 2009. REUTERS/Dan Kitwood/PoolLONDON, Nov 22 (Reuters) - Britain's Labour Party has slashed the main opposition Conservative Party's opinion poll lead to six points, giving the government its best showing in almost a year as voter confidence in the economy recovers.

The Ipsos MORI survey in Sunday's Observer newspaper showed Prime Minister Gordon Brown's Labour Party on 31 percent, the centre-right Conservatives on 37 percent and the Liberal Democrats on 17 percent.

Labour's recovery points to the narrowest gap between the two main parties in any survey since last December, and would result in a hung parliament if replicated in a parliamentary election -- the first since 1974.

A gap of five points would likely see Labour win more seats than the Conservatives at the next election, which must be held by June, the paper quoted the pollsters as saying.

The survey suggested the Conservatives, who have enjoyed leads of up to 20 points in several polls as recently as six months ago, were struggling to win over the floating voters they need to win a decisive mandate, the Observer said.

The longest recession on record, a damaging scandal over politicians' expenses and anger over military losses in Afghanistan have eroded support for Labour, which has been in power since 1997.

But the Ipsos MORI poll showed optimism over the economy was at its highest since 1997, suggesting Labour may be benefiting from a return of a feelgood factor after the Bank of England predicted a recovery at the beginning of 2010, the paper said.

About 43 percent of the public now believe the economy will perform better during the next year, compared with 23 percent who think it will deteriorate, with 28 percent saying it will stay the same.

The poll boost follows Labour's victory in a special election in the safe Labour seat of Glasgow North East on Nov. 12, though Brown's personal ratings remain in the doldrums.

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