Labour Has An Enormous 33-Point Poll Lead Over The Tories
The Labour Party has surged to an astonishing 33-point lead over the Tories, according to new polling.
The YouGov poll, carried out on Wednesday and Thursday, put Labour on 54% (+9) compared to the Conservatives’ 21% (-7).
The Times, which commissioned the poll, said it is believed to be the largest poll lead enjoyed by any party with any pollster since the late 1990s.
It follows a successful Labour conference in Liverpool and, more importantly, market turmoil and public outcry following Kwasi Kwarteng’s mini-budget last Friday.
The poll also shows the gap between the Lib Dems in third (7%) and the Tories is smaller than between Labour and the Conservatives.
????????????????????????
— Matt Chorley (@MattChorley) September 29, 2022
LABOUR HAVE 33-POINT LEAD
THIRTY THREE @YouGov for @thetimeshttps://t.co/GBoKC1yqvOpic.twitter.com/znbhZgtvIz
The poll will heap more pressure on prime minister Liz Truss – who has been in power for only three weeks – as he forges ahead with her controversial growth plan.
Truss and Kwasi Kwarteng have insisted their £45 billion package of tax cuts is the “right plan” to get the economy moving despite chaos on the financial markets and fears of rocketing mortgage bills.
In their first public comments since the pound hit a record low on Monday, neither the prime minister nor the chancellor commented directly on the turmoil created by his mini-budget.
During a round of BBC local radio interviews, Truss said the government had to take “urgent action” to kick-start the economy and protect consumers from rising energy costs.
And during a visit to an engine plant in Darlington, Kwarteng said the package he announced in the Commons on Friday was “absolutely essential” if the economy was to generate the revenues needed to fund public services.
This is a breaking news story and will be updated. Follow HuffPost UK on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.