Political Monitor

February's Political Monitor, conducted for the Financial Times, shows the highest level of voting intentions for the Conservative Party recorded by MORI for 18 months.

MORI's first election special Political Monitor, conducted exclusively for The Observer in January shows a six-point lead for the Labour Party over the Tories (38% to 32%) with the Liberal Democrats on 22% (down from 26% in December).

MORI interviewed a representative quota sample of 1,960 adults aged 18+ at 200 sampling points across Great Britain. Fieldwork was conducted face-to-face on 15-20 January 2004. Data are weighted to match the profile of the population.

Among those who say they are certain to vote at the next General Election, Labour's share of the vote has risen four points, from 36% in November to 40% in December. The Conservatives now on 31% are down four points and the Liberal Democrats remain unchanged on 22%.

MORI's latest Political Monitor shows that Michael Howard has failed to increase the Conservatives' voting intention share at an immediate General Election. The poll, conducted between 20-25 November 2003, is the first MORI survey of voting intentions and ratings of the party leaders' performance since Michael Howard was officially named as the new Tory leader.

MORI interviewed a representative quota sample of 2,018 adults aged 18+ at 195 sampling points across Great Britain. Fieldwork was conducted face-to-face on 23-28 October 2003. Data are weighted to match the profile of the population.

MORI's latest Political Monitor shows that Michael Howard, or any new Tory leader, faces a tough task if the Conservative Party are to make a significant dent in Labour's parliamentary majority.

Two-thirds of the British public (67%) do not think that the Conservative Party leader, Iain Duncan Smith is ready to be Prime Minister. Only 16% agree that Duncan Smith is ready to move into Downing Street, and 17% say they do not know. The MORI survey for the Financial Times also shows that three times as many people disagree that "the Conservatives are ready to form the next Government" (64%) than agree (21%).

MORI interviewed a representative quota sample of 1,976 adults aged 18+ at 187 sampling points across Great Britain. Fieldwork was conducted face-to-face in respondents homes on 11-16 September 2003. Data are weighted to match the profile of the population.