There can be no getting round the fact that Tories are still being the most hurt by the UKIP surge
And a lot of 2010 non-voters seem to back Farage’s party
The above chart is based on the aggregate data from Lord Ashcroft’s latest round of CON-LAB marginals polling which had a total sample of 14,004.
The first factor to stand out is that much more of UKIP’s current support in these key battlegrounds continues to come from ex-Tories than from ex-LAB voters. This means, of course, that the blues will benefit most should UKIP support fade.
Secondly, given UKIP only got 3.1% nationally in 2010, a very high proportion of current UKIP voters did not vote at the last election.
All this unerpins the claims by LAB in the Telegraph this morning that “Ukip voters will make Ed Miliband Prime Minister”. The report quotes a LAB figure:-
“The Tories lose a lot more than we do from a decent Ukip performance,†said a senior Labour campaign source. “The whole election could hang on how many of their current voters stick with them next May.â€
I think that’s right and this will impact on Labour’s approach in the coming months. Ed Miliband’s team will be increasingly resistant to pressure from some in the party to make policy moves to attract UKIP votes.
That means, I’d suggest, no Labour promise on an EU in/out referendum.