Michael Portillo's exclusion from the Tory leadership race may have taken both his colleagues and the media by surprise, but it was following the trend of public opinion over the last few weeks which has seen him lose much ground.
A brief word on the importance of the low turnout and its effect on the polls. MORI's final poll projection for The Times was Conservative 30%, Labour 45%, Liberal Democrat 18%; the "poll of polls" (average of all the companies' polls conducted during the final week) was Conservative 31%, Labour 45% and Liberal Democrats 18%. Both close to the final result (32.7%:42.0%:18.8%), and within the standard 3% margin of error for all parties - though, naturally, we would like it to be even closer.
Research by the MORI Social Research Institute/Electoral Commission on public attitudes in the 2001 general election shows interest in politics has remained stable over the past three decades: people are no more 'turned-off' by politics than they were in the past.
The following summarises the key findings from the Phase 2 survey conducted between 9/18 June 2001. Reference is also made to results from the Phase 1 survey conducted 9/15 May. For technical details of these surveys see below. Full topline results from the surveys can be found in the right hand column and www.electoralcommission.org.uk
Q It has been suggested by some people that in future General Elections, not the forthcoming one, voting in person at polling stations is replaced wholly with voting by other methods such as voting by post, by telephone and by the internet. Do you support or oppose this idea?
Q Why do you say that?
