The first voting intention poll since the Budget suggests that the Budget and smear-gate have hurt Labour badly. The poll has the Tories stretching their lead to 18 points with Labour dropping seven to 27 percent. With all the usual caveats, this poll implies a Tory majority of more than 150 seats after the next election—a result that would be utterly devastating for Labour.
Those who want the Tories to make Brown’s gimmick of a 50p tax rate for those earning over a £150,000 the defining battle of the next 14 months before the election, should note that 68 percent of people agree with it. The poll also finds that 69 percent of voters are dissatisfied with Brown’s performance as Prime Minister; one does wonder who the other 31 percent are and what it will take for them to become dissatisfied with Brown.
PS Anthony Wells of the invaluable UK Polling Report thinks that the numbers might be even worse for Labour once the Budget has sunk in:
“Most of YouGov’s responses would have been received on Wednesday, before the print media’s pretty hostile reception today and the post-budget discussion of spending cuts.
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