Ominous for Clegg? By 47% to 31% LD voters tell YouGov that the party would do better at the election with a different leader. S Times

— Mike Smithson (@MSmithsonPB) September 1, 2012

Will he still be leader at the general election?

With the Lib Dem conference due to start in less than three weeks there’s some new polling tonight that could put more pressure on the party leader, Nick Clegg.

The Sunday Times is reporting that in its poll for tomorrow’s paper 47% who of those who said they’d vote Lib Dem at the next election believe the party would do better if someone else was leader. A total of 31% disagreed.

I can’t recall seeing findings like this before and the danger for Clegg is that it could provide ammunition for the doubters.

On Thursday a prominent predecessor, Paddy Ashdown, had to intervene to dampen down the “Clegg should go” talk.

What’s likely to determine the leadership question is whether sufficient Lib Dem MPs start to believe that the best chance they’ve got of holding their seats would be with a different leader.

A note of thanks. I am now back from my French holiday and I’d just like to thank TSE for standing in for me on the site.

Mike Smithson @MSmithsonPB