Category Archives: Voice polls

YouGov versus Lib Dem Voice surveys: how do they compare?

By Mark Pack | Published 22nd September 2010 - 8:56 am

As Stephen mentioned earlier in conference, we’ve done a little experiment with the latest Lib Dem Voice survey of party members by asking exactly the same questions as were very recently asked of party members in a YouGov survey. It turns out that the answers from our two different approaches are very similar:

As you may know, there is currently debate about whether or not the UK should replace its Trident nuclear weapons system. Current policy is to replace the Trident submarines with a new fleet of boats, and to replace the ballistic nuclear missiles they carry at a later …

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Also posted in Polls | Tagged | 5 Comments

Burstow: “New 111 service will be better than NHS Direct”

By Stephen Tall | Published 30th August 2010 - 4:15 pm

The news broke at the weekend that NHS Direct is to be scrapped by the Coalition Government, and replaced with a new service – 111 – a move anticipated in July’s Health White Paper, in which it was promised to:

Develop a coherent 24/7 urgent care service in every area of England that makes sense to patients when they have to make choices about their care. This will incorporate GP out-of-hours services and provide urgent medical care for people registered with a GP elsewhere. We will make care more accessible by introducing, informed by evaluation, a single telephone number

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NEW POLL: Is the Coalition right to scrap NHS Direct?

By Stephen Tall | Published 28th August 2010 - 5:25 pm

The BBC reports:

The government has confirmed it is planning to scrap the NHS Direct telephone service in England and replace it with a cheaper option. A new 111 helpline is already being piloted in the North East. It was previously reported that the new service may replace NHS Direct, but now the Department of Health has confirmed it will definitely do so. The move comes as the government curtails public spending, even though it has promised to protect the NHS.

NHS Direct is currently used by 27,000 people a day, and provides expert health advice and information to callers, as …

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Also posted in News | 46 Comments

NEW POLL: Should nuclear power be part of the UK’s energy mix?

By Stephen Tall | Published 9th August 2010 - 2:25 pm

Climate change and energy secretary Chris Huhne was on Radio 4 this morning with what will have been, for many Lib Dems, a surprise announcement: that the Lib Dem / Conservative coalition government is fully behind the opening of a new nuclear power station in eight years’ time.

Arguing in favour of in favour of a mix of more nuclear, oil and gas and renewable energy, Chris declared, “I have no intention of the lights going out on my watch.”

This is something of a change in direction for Liberal Democrat party policy. For example, in the 2010 manifesto the …

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Also posted in News | Tagged , , | 70 Comments

LDV readers say: Tax Capital Gains and Income at the same level

By The Voice | Published 1st August 2010 - 12:25 pm

LDV posed the question last month (even before the Osborne/Alexander austerity emergency budget): Do you believe that as a matter of principle capital gains should generally be taxed at the same level as income?

Here’s what you told us:

    68% (946 votes) – Yes
    27% (371) – No
    6% (80) – Don’t know
    Total Votes: 1397, Poll ran: 10th June – 31st July, 2010

If you missed it at the time, it’s well worth having a read of the comments thread.

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NEW POLL: Is the Coalition right to allow us to work beyond 65?

By Stephen Tall | Published 31st July 2010 - 4:35 pm

This was the statement issued by Lib Dem Employment Relations Minister Ed Davey this week when announcing the end of the default retirement age of 65, and give people the freedom to choose their own retirement date:

With more and more people wanting to extend their working lives we should not stop them just because they have reached a particular age. We want to give individuals greater choice and are moving swiftly to end discrimination of this kind. Older workers bring with them a wealth of talent and experience as employees and entrepreneurs. They have a vital contribution to make

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LDV TwtPoll – right or wrong to deny Nick Griffin entry to the Buckingham Palace garden party?

By Stephen Tall | Published 24th July 2010 - 4:45 pm

A couple of days ago, Lib Dem Voice tweeted an instant poll asking the question, “Was it right or wrong for BNP leader Nick Griffin to be denied entry to the Buckingham Palace garden party?”

The poll’s still open, and you can vote here – here’s how voting currently stands:


All in all, pretty close, with 39% saying it was right, 33% saying it was wrong to deny him entry, and 26% saying he shoudn’t have been invited in the first place.

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NEW POLL: Should capital and income be taxed at the same level?

By Mark Pack | Published 10th June 2010 - 6:50 pm

In amongst the debate over capital gains tax and the politics of whether the Budget leans more towards the previous Liberal Democrat or Conservative policies on the topic is a significant issue of principle.

The Liberal Democrats (and previously the Liberals in particular) have traditionally been much keener on the idea that the tax system should treat ‘unearned income’ more equally to earned income, and so tax more equally the growth in capital value of assets compared with salaries.

Of course the use of the word ‘unearned’ is itself the trigger for a whole range of debates as increase values …

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Tagged , , | 33 Comments

NEW POLL: Who do you want to see as the next Lib Dem deputy leader?

By Stephen Tall | Published 27th May 2010 - 10:35 am

It’s early days – Vince only announced he was stepping down as the party’s deputy leader last night, in order to focus on his cabinet responsibilities – but who would you, LDV’s readers, like to see take over from Vince?

Of course the electorate for the deputy’s post are the party’s 57 MPs (party members choose our leader and president), and I imagine and hope there will be four criteria uppermost in their minds:

1) Ensuring a ‘balanced ticket’ for the party leadership. Nick and Vince have worked well together precisely because they look, sound and are different. Their combined blend of …

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Tagged | 49 Comments

Twitter poll results: peers should be able to vote in general elections

By Mark Pack | Published 23rd March 2010 - 12:50 pm

Thanks to everyone who took part in our Twitter mini-poll last week on the question:

Do you agree with the members of the House of Lords who are demanding the right to vote in general elections?

The result is:

Yes 70% (49 votes)
No 30% (21 votes)

… and not one person picked “Don’t know”. Give yourselves a pat on the back for decisiveness.

1 Comment

NEW POLL: Should members of the Lords get to vote in general elections?

By Mark Pack | Published 17th March 2010 - 7:14 pm

Some members of the House of Lords have been demanding the right to vote for MPs and want to see the law changed to remove the ban on peers voting at general elections.

Do you agree with them? That’s the question asked in our latest Twitter poll:

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2 Comments

NEW POLL: What’s the main reason you think the Tory poll lead has all but evaporated?

By Stephen Tall | Published 28th February 2010 - 2:15 pm

Today’s YouGov poll in the Sunday Times suggests the Tory lead over Labour has amost disappeared, and that Labour may even end up the largest party after the general election (which would reflect the exclusive LDV election prediction published here at the start of February).

Nor is today’s poll a flash-in-the-pan. None of the last 12 polls has shown the Tories reaching 40%, the psychologically crucial hurdle most feel they need to be able to clear to be sure of a working Commons majority. Only one of those polls has shown Labour below 30%, and – sigh of …

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NEW POLL: Is it time to end ‘politically restricted’ jobs?

By Stephen Tall | Published 18th February 2010 - 7:15 pm

Blogging Labour MP Tom Harris has an interesting story today, revealing that Tina Stowell, the BBC’s head of corporate affairs “is not only a wannabe Tory candidate, but still has a live website proclaiming her love of all things Cameron.” But Tom doesn’t point this out in order to fulminate or demand her resignation:

And you know something? I don’t have a problem with this. I would much prefer to know the politics of someone I’m dealing with because at least you know where they’re coming from. She wants to become an MP? Good for her! I hope she

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LDV readers say: Televised leaders’ debates will be great help to Lib Dems

By Stephen Tall | Published 9th January 2010 - 3:30 pm

A fortnight ago, LDV posed the question, What difference, if any, do you think the televised leaders’ debates will make to the Lib Dems’ standing in the polls? Here’s what you told us:

  • 60% (258 votes) – They will be a real help to the Liberal Democrats
  • 24% (105) – They will make only a marginal difference either way
  • 8% (34) – They will backfire for the Liberal Democrats
  • 8% (33) – They will be utterly irrelevant to how people vote
    Total Votes: 430 Poll ran: 26th December 2009 – 8th January 2010

So, a convincing majority of you – six …

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NEW POLL: Who is your Liberal Voice of the Year?

By Stephen Tall | Published 9th January 2010 - 11:45 am

Ten days ago, in the dying days of the last decade, LDV launched our search for the Liberal Voice of 2009, to find the non-Lib Dem individual or group which has had the biggest impact on liberalism in this country in the past 12 months.

Our thanks to all who put forward nominations, all of which were considered carefully by the LDV editorial collective, which has agreed to short-list the following (in no particular order):

  • Guy Herbert, general secretary of NO2ID, for his campaigning work against the database state;
  • Peter Tatchell, for his tireless and fearless international human

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