Name: Anonymous 2009-05-29 15:35
Labour is heading for a drubbing in next week's European elections and appears to have been worse hit than the other parties by the expenses scandal, an exclusive poll for The Times finds.
Gordon Brown's party is trailing the Conservatives - and astonishingly - UKIP, according to Populus figures. The Liberal Democrats, also suffering as a result of the expenses row, appear to be in fourth place.
The news comes as Labour suffered a further blow tonight when Elliot Morley, the former environment minister, announced that he would not stand for reelection after becoming embroiled in controversy over his own expenses claims.
The overall general election standings put the Conservatives on 41 per cent, up two per cent since the last Populus poll earlier this month, Labour on 21 per cent - down five per cent - and the Liberal Democrats on 15 per cent, down a thumping seven points. But a sharply different picture emerges when people are asked how they will vote next Thursday.
The Conservatives fall four points to 30 per cent, compared with their position of three weeks ago, Labour drop nine points to just 16 per cent, and the Liberal Democrats fall eight points to 12 per cent.
UKIP are the huge beneficiaries, rising 13 points to 19 per cent, ahead of Labour and the Liberal Democrats. The Greens rise five points to 10 per cent, and the BNP are up three points at five per cent.
If the poll is reflected in the election results next Sunday, there are bound to be fresh questions over Mr Brown's leadership, although there is no sign of anyone preparing to challenge him or trying to remove him
The BNP standing in the North is eight per cent, suggesting that its hopes of getting an MEP elected in the north-west region may be realised.
Labour has been heavily wounded by coverage of the expenses revelations. Asked which party had been worst affected, 35 per cent said Labour, seven per cent Conservative, and one per cent Liberal Democrat.
However, 50 per cent said the parties had been equally damaged. Asked which of the leaders had been most damaged, 62 per cent said Mr Brown, five per cent Mr Cameron, one per cent Mr Clegg, and 25 per cent said they had been equally damaged.
Even among Labour supporters, some 50 per cent think Mr Brown is most badly damaged; and of those planning to switch from Labour to Conservative, 85 per cent think he is the main casualty.
Asked which leader had been the least damaged, 56 per cent said Mr Clegg, 27 per cent Mr Cameron and three per cent Mr Brown.
News of the poll came as Mr Morley appeared before his constituents in Scunthorpe to announce that he would not stand for reelection next year. Mr Morley, who claimed £16,000 over 18 months for a mortgage that did not exist, had already been suspended by the Labour Party. Scotland Yard is also considering whether to launch a criminal probe.
"I want to stress I made a genuine mistake over my expenses," he said, announcing his resignation tonight. "There are reasons for this and I am confident that my name will be cleared and I am ready to make my case to Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards as soon as that can be arranged and will cooperate fully."
Full details of the poll will be published in tomorrow's edition of The Times.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article6390069.ece
Gordon Brown's party is trailing the Conservatives - and astonishingly - UKIP, according to Populus figures. The Liberal Democrats, also suffering as a result of the expenses row, appear to be in fourth place.
The news comes as Labour suffered a further blow tonight when Elliot Morley, the former environment minister, announced that he would not stand for reelection after becoming embroiled in controversy over his own expenses claims.
The overall general election standings put the Conservatives on 41 per cent, up two per cent since the last Populus poll earlier this month, Labour on 21 per cent - down five per cent - and the Liberal Democrats on 15 per cent, down a thumping seven points. But a sharply different picture emerges when people are asked how they will vote next Thursday.
The Conservatives fall four points to 30 per cent, compared with their position of three weeks ago, Labour drop nine points to just 16 per cent, and the Liberal Democrats fall eight points to 12 per cent.
UKIP are the huge beneficiaries, rising 13 points to 19 per cent, ahead of Labour and the Liberal Democrats. The Greens rise five points to 10 per cent, and the BNP are up three points at five per cent.
If the poll is reflected in the election results next Sunday, there are bound to be fresh questions over Mr Brown's leadership, although there is no sign of anyone preparing to challenge him or trying to remove him
The BNP standing in the North is eight per cent, suggesting that its hopes of getting an MEP elected in the north-west region may be realised.
Labour has been heavily wounded by coverage of the expenses revelations. Asked which party had been worst affected, 35 per cent said Labour, seven per cent Conservative, and one per cent Liberal Democrat.
However, 50 per cent said the parties had been equally damaged. Asked which of the leaders had been most damaged, 62 per cent said Mr Brown, five per cent Mr Cameron, one per cent Mr Clegg, and 25 per cent said they had been equally damaged.
Even among Labour supporters, some 50 per cent think Mr Brown is most badly damaged; and of those planning to switch from Labour to Conservative, 85 per cent think he is the main casualty.
Asked which leader had been the least damaged, 56 per cent said Mr Clegg, 27 per cent Mr Cameron and three per cent Mr Brown.
News of the poll came as Mr Morley appeared before his constituents in Scunthorpe to announce that he would not stand for reelection next year. Mr Morley, who claimed £16,000 over 18 months for a mortgage that did not exist, had already been suspended by the Labour Party. Scotland Yard is also considering whether to launch a criminal probe.
"I want to stress I made a genuine mistake over my expenses," he said, announcing his resignation tonight. "There are reasons for this and I am confident that my name will be cleared and I am ready to make my case to Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards as soon as that can be arranged and will cooperate fully."
Full details of the poll will be published in tomorrow's edition of The Times.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article6390069.ece