Many Lib Dems want to be part of the New Generation

Politics tends to ruin an evening in the pub. On Wednesday, I came across a friend who had been a card-carrying Lib Dem prior to the coalition’s formation. He confessed that he’d been impressed by Ed Miliband’s speech and had joined the Labour party. Several other Lib Dem supporters attending agreed that Ed Miliband is a more attractive option than David Cameron and Nick Clegg. Everyone else in this small band (mostly unaffiliated voters with the odd furtive Tory) believed that Labour has probably elected the wrong Miliband, but were antagonistic to Labour in any case.

Politics Home has published formal research suggesting that only Lib Dems clearly favour Ed Miliband as Labour leader:

Cameron and Clegg will not worry unduly about this poll: Labour voters are obviously undecided on their new leader, and a substantial proportion of Lib Dem and unaligned voters don’t care for either Miliband. It adds to the growing narrative that Ed Miliband’s expected bounce has plugged in the morass of residual anti-Labour sentiment, which was not dispelled by an insipid leadership contest.