The latest Reuters/IPSOS Mori Political Monitor makes grim reading for the Liberal Democrat leadership. Though the headline voting intention figures - Conservatives 36% (-3); Labour 39% (+3); Liberal Democrats 14% (unchanged) - actually represent an improvement from their faltering performance in the Sun/YouGov daily tracker series, satisfaction and perception levels among the public leave Mr Clegg and his colleagues with plenty to think about.
The latest Reuters/IPSOS Mori Political Monitor makes grim reading for the Liberal Democrat leadership. Though the headline voting intention figures – Conservatives 36% (-3); Labour 39% (+3); Liberal Democrats 14% (unchanged) – actually represent an improvement from their faltering performance in the Sun/YouGov daily tracker series, satisfaction and perception levels among the public leave Mr Clegg and his colleagues with plenty to think about.
Only a quarter of voters believe the government is a genuine coalition in which decisions are made jointly between the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats (down from 41% in June), with nearly two-thirds of those polled believing the Conservatives are making most of the decisions – up from only a half five months ago.
Dissatisfaction with the government, meanwhile, is rife, amongst the public as a whole, and, more worryingly for Mr Clegg, amongst Liberal Democrat voters. Whilst Conservative voters seem very content with the way the government is running the country, the net satisfaction of Lib Dems has plummeted in the wake of the Comprehensive Spending Review and widespread unease over tuition fee rises.
Amongst all voters, Labour leader Ed Miliband has the highest net satisfaction rating (+9), followed by Mr Cameron (+1) and lastly Mr Clegg (-9) – though he may console himself with the knowledge dissatisfaction with the government as a whole is even greater (-20).
Additionally, voter concern about the extent of the government’s cuts is growing (as is acceptance of their inevitability). Those polled were most concerned about cuts to local public services, for example libraries, social care, sports facilities etc. (83%); policing (77%); public sector unemployment (73%); defence (73%); higher education (67%); benefits (54%); and social housing (52%)
30 Responses to “Coalition suffers slump in Lib Dem support while dislike of Clegg grows”
nick beall
RT @leftfootfwd: Coalition suffers slump in Lib Dem support while dislike of Clegg grows: http://bit.ly/bziJKI reports @ShamikDas
Jonathan Davies
RT @leftfootfwd: Coalition suffers slump in Lib Dem support while dislike of Clegg grows: http://bit.ly/bziJKI reports @ShamikDas
Shamik Das
RT @leftfootfwd: Coalition suffers slump in Lib Dem support while dislike of Clegg grows: http://bit.ly/bziJKI reports @ShamikDas
Anthony Painter
Coalition has a net dissatisfaction (!) rating amongst Lib Dem voters. http://bit.ly/bziJKI
Ma
RT @leftfootfwd: Coalition suffers slump in Lib Dem support while dislike of Clegg grows: http://bit.ly/bziJKI reports @ShamikDas