Financial Times Election Research - Poll 4

Including the "Political Triangle" (leaders, parties or policies), advocacy ("word-of-mouth" effect) and party and leader image questions

Topline Results

  • MORI interviewed 2,256 British adults aged 18+ face-to-face, in-home between 21-25 April 2005
  • Data are weighted to reflect the national adult population profile
  • An (*) 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

Voting Intentions -- all absolutely certain to vote (61%)

Q1 How do you intend to vote in the General Election on May 5th? IF AGED 15-17 ADD: If you were old enough to vote? IF UNDECIDED OR REFUSED AT Q1 Q2 Which party are you most inclined to support? Base: 1,400 British adults

  %
Conservative 34
Labour 36
Liberal Democrats (Lib Dem) 23
Scottish/Welsh Nationalist 2
Green Party 2
UK Independence Party 2
Other 1
 
Lab lead (177%) +2
 
Would not vote *
Undecided 8
Refused 3

Voting Intentions -- all naming a party

Q1 How do you intend to vote in the General Election on May 5th? Will you vote Conservative, Labour, Liberal Democrat or for another party? IF UNDECIDED OR REFUSED AT Q1 Q2 Which party are you most inclined to support?

  %
Conservative 30
Labour 40
Liberal Democrats (Lib Dem) 23
Scottish/Welsh Nationalist 2
Green Party 2
UK Independence Party 1
Other 2
 
Lab lead (177%) +10
 
Would not vote 10
Undecided 11
Refused 2

Q3 And how likely will you be to vote in the 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?

  %
10 -- absolutely certain to vote 61
9 6
8 7
7 4
6 2
5 6
4 1
3 1
2 1
1 -- absolutely certain not to vote 9
Don't know 1
Refused -

Q4 Have you definitely decided to vote for [INSERT NAME OF PARTY] or is there a chance you may change your mind before you vote? Base: 1,694 British adults naming a party

  %
Definitely decided 62
May change mind 35
Don't know 3

 See also Trends on this question

Q5 I want you to think about what it is that most attracted you to ... party. Some people are attracted mainly by the policies of the party, some by the leaders of the party and some because they identify with the party as a whole. If you had a total of ten points to allocate according to how important each of these was to you, how many points would you allocate to the leaders of the party you intend voting for, how many to its policies, and how many to the party as a whole? Please bear in mind that the total of all your points should add up to ten. Base: 862 British adults naming a party

  Mean Con Lab Lib Dem
Leaders 3.1 3.0 3.3 2.9
Policies 4.6 4.7 4.2 4.7
Parties 2.4 2.3 2.6 2.3

Q6-8 Thinking about the Labour Party / Conservative Party / Liberal Democrat Party, please pick one statement from this card according to which best reflects your behaviour and opinions with respect to the Labour Party. Base: 1,106 British adults

  Lab Con Lib Dem
  % % %
I support the Party so much I encourage others to vote for it, without being asked 6 4 2
If someone asked my opinion I would encourage them to vote for the Party 15 12 13
If someone asked my opinion I would be neutral about voting for the Party 42 40 56
If someone asked my opinion I would discourage them from voting for the Party 16 18 12
I am so strongly opposed to the Party that I discourage others from voting for it without being asked 14 17 6
Don't know 7 9 11

Q9-11 Here is a list of things both favourable and unfavourable that have been said about various politicians. I would like you to pick out all those statements that you feel fit Mr Blair / Mr Howard / Mr Kennedy? Base: 1,106 British adults naming a party

  Mr Blair Mr Howard Mr Kennedy
  % % %
A capable leader 34 18 18
Good in a crisis 19 5 2
Understands world problems 24 12 11
Tends to talk down to people 27 22 2
Rather narrow minded 15 22 6
Too inflexible 20 12 4
Has sound judgement 9 9 10
More honest than most politicians 10 9 31
Down-to-earth 15 7 31
Understands the problems facing Britain 25 21 21
Patriotic 16 22 12
Has got a lot of personality 25 6 13
Rather inexperienced 3 10 35
Out of touch with ordinary people 36 30 7
No opinion 11 21 23

Q12-14 Read through the list slowly keeping the Labour/Conservative/Liberal Democrat Party in mind. Every time you come to a statement that fits your ideas or impressions of the Labour/Conservative/Liberal Democrat Party just tell me the letter next to it. You may pick as many or as few as you like. You don't have to be certain, just pick the letters next to the statements you feel fit the Labour/Conservative/Liberal Democrat Party. Base: 1,106 British adults naming a party

  Lab Con Lib Dem
  % % %
Keeps its promises 6 3 7
Understands the problems facing Britain 26 22 22
Represents all classes 23 9 29
Looks after the interests of people like us 16 11 16
Moderate 16 12 31
Extreme 6 14 2
Concerned about the people in real need in Britain 20 14 30
Has a good team of leaders 23 8 7
Will promise anything to win votes 40 45 19
Out of touch with ordinary people 27 32 8
Has sensible policies 18 17 27
Too dominated by its leader 37 16 6
Professional in its approach 17 15 13
Divided 22 23 5
No opinion 9 14 23

Q15 Which of these applies to you? Base: 1,734 British adults who do not intend to vote Conservative

  %
I could consider voting Conservative and I could consider voting for Michael Howard 16
I could consider voting Conservative but I could not consider voting for Michael Howard 9
I could not consider voting Conservative but I could consider voting for Michael Howard 4
I could not consider voting Conservative and I could not consider voting for Michael Howard 57
Don't know 14

Q16 Which of these applies to you? Base: 1,561 British adults who do not intend to vote Labour

  %
I could consider voting Labour and I could consider voting for Tony Blair 18
I could consider voting Labour but I could not consider voting for Tony Blair 18
I could not consider voting Labour but I could consider voting for Tony Blair 4
I could not consider voting Labour and I could not consider voting for Tony Blair 48
Don't know 12

Q17 As you may have heard, the Conservatives have set out how they would cut public spending to enable them to reduce taxation by 1634 billion. Which one of the following statements, if any, comes closest to your own view? Base: 1,106 British adults

  %
The Conservatives have gone too far -- I would oppose cutting taxes by 1634 billion 37
The Conservatives have got it about right 26
The Conservatives have not gone far enough -- I would support cutting taxes by more than 1634 billion 16
Don't know 21

Q18 Do you think that giving people a government subsidy to use private hospitals will make the NHS better, worse or make no difference at all? Base: 1,106 British adults

  %
Better 27
Worse 31
Makes no difference 36
Don't know 6

Q19 Do you think that giving people a government subsidy to use private hospitals would make the quality of healthcare available to you better, worse or make no difference at all? Base: 1,106 British adults

  %
Better 34
Worse 22
Makes no difference 40
Don't know 4

Q20 Do you think that giving people a government subsidy to use private schools will make schools better, worse or make no difference at all? Base: 1,106 British adults

  %
Better 18
Worse 32
Makes no difference 41
Don't know 9

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