General Election 2001 - Election Digest
Pensioners Would Elect Labour
More British pensioners intend to vote Labour than Tory in the forthcoming General Election, according an NOP/Sunday People survey:
The People reports Labour support among this section of the electorate standing at 40%, the Tories on 31%, and the Liberal Democrats on 12% (though these figures are not repercentaged to exclude "don't knows").
92% of pensioners support the Government's payments to pensioners of the winter fuel allowance, and 86% support the provision of free television licenses to people aged over 75.
Source: The Sunday People, 20 May 2001. Technical details: NOP interviewed 500 pensioners on the 17 May 2001. Interview mode not stated.
Labour Lead Tories On Asylum Issue
Labour lead the Tories over who has the best policies on dealing with the issue of asylum, according to an ICM survey for the Guardian conducted just before the election campaign began. 20% thought Labour's policy on the issue was best, while 16% favoured the Tories. However, the majority of voters either believes that no party has the best policies to deal with asylum (29%), or that they are unable to choose between party policies (also 29%).
76% of voters are against the abolition of all immigration controls, whilst 18% are in favour of such a measure, according to the survey that was carried out just prior to the calling of the General Election. However, more than half, 51%, of voters would support a decision to allow unskilled economic migrants into Britain if done on a quota basis, such as the "green card" system operated in the United States.
Asked whether they supported such an approach if it could be proven that economic migrants would not be a burden on the state, 67% were in favour, rising to 70% support for such migrants with skills in occupations currently suffering skills shortages in this country, such as GPs, nurses and teachers.
Source: The Guardian 21 May 2001. Technical details: ICM interviewed a random sample of 1,022 adults aged over 18 by telephone on 4-7 May 2001.
