Disabled People and the 2005 General Election

In research conducted in February and March this year, on behalf of Leonard Cheshire, MORI reveals the importance of the disabled vote to the forthcoming general election. In these surveys, over half of disabled respondents said they would consider switching their vote if the policies of their preferred party were disability unfriendly. As turnout may well be one of the key determinants of the outcome of the election, the political parties will take this seriously, as disabled voters, in these surveys, were more likely than the electorate at large to say they would be voting come 5th May.

Topline Results

• Topline results are based on 3,819 adults aged 18+ in Great Britain unless otherwise stated
• Interviews were conducted face-to-face, in home, on two waves of the MORI Omnibus between 17-21 February 2005 and 3-9 March 2005
• Results are also presented for those respondents who say they have a disability which limits their daily activities or the work they can do (772 adults)
• Data are weighted to the profile of the population
• An asterisk (*) indicates a finding of less than 0.5% but greater than zero
• Where percentages do not add up to exactly 100% this may be due to computer rounding, the exclusion of "don't knows" or to multiple answers

Q1 How would you vote if there were a General Election tomorrow? Which party are you most inclined to support? Base: 3,819 British adults, 18+

Q2 How would you vote if there were a General Election tomorrow? Which party are you most inclined to support? Base: All absolutely certain to vote

Q3 Thinking of the forthcoming General Election I'd like to ask you about some issues that might make some people switch their vote. Please tell me how likely or unlikely you would be to consider switching your vote to another party if your preferred party... Base: 2,966 British adults, 18+, naming a party they will vote for/support at a General Election

Q3a Thinking of the forthcoming General Election I'd like to ask you about some issues that might make some people switch their vote. Please tell me how likely or unlikely you would be to consider switching your vote to another party if your preferred party... Base: 613 disabled British adults, 18+, naming a party they will vote for/support at a General Election

Q4 And how likely would you be to vote in an immediate General Election, on a scale of 1 to 10, where 10 means you would be absolutely certain to vote, and 1 means that you would be absolutely certain not to vote? Base: All British adults 18+ and all disabled British adults, 18+