Labour only four points ahead of Nick Clegg’s party

On top of the good news overnight from the Frank Luntz focus group there’s a big boost for the Lib Dems tonight in the September YouGov poll for tomorrow’s Daily Telegraph.

The figures are with changes on the last poll from the firm two weeks ago:- CON 44%(-2): LAB 24% (-3): LD 20% (+4)

This is the highest Lib Dem figure from the internet pollster since November 2005 – the month before David Cameron became Tory leader. This is also the smallest gap between Labour and the Lib Dems since well before the 2005 general election.

The fieldwork, of course, took place immediately after the party’s conference in Bournemouth with all the associated publicity though this was somewhat reduced due to the crisis in the financial markets and Gordon Brown’s problems.

There will be much relief in the party particularly after the awful Ipsos-MORI poll on Wednesday evening that had them on just 12%. (There’s a piece on that poll by Bob Worcester in the previous thread)

Labour’s drop is not surprising given the awful time they have been having. The big question is whether they too will get a conference boost. I’ve got a feeling that there will be an outbreak of unity in Manchester and the party might move up a couple of notches.

Mike Smithson