Four-in-10 voters would never consider voting for the Lib Dems

Four-in-10 voters would never consider voting for the Lib Dems – but it’s not all bad news…

By Stephen Tall | Thu 27th February 2014 - 3:30 pm

Some interesting poll data from Ipsos-Mori who were asked by British Future to look at attitudes towards voting for the four main political parties. Here’s three points that stood out for the Lib Dems:

Four-in-10 voters would never consider voting for the Lib Dems, Conservatives or Ukip. Labour is less unpopular: one-in-three voters would never consider voting Labour.

Lib Dem supporter are the most anti-Ukip: 62% say they would never consider voting Ukip. This compares with 43% of Lib Dems saying they would never consider voting Conservative, and 38% saying they would never vote for Labour.

The feelings mutual… Ukip supporters are more anti-Lib Dem than either Conservative or Labour supporters: 71% saying they would never consider voting for the party compared with 49% of Conservatives and 56% of Labour supporters.

Two quick thoughts…

First, the polling bears out there’s not much cross-over between Lib Dem support and Ukip – which means Clegg’s strategy of taking the fight to Nigel Farage over Europe, even if it gives the Ukip leader a bigger platform, is probably worth the risk. If Farage picks up any votes, they’re least likely to be drawn from the Lib Dems.

And secondly, that more voters are prepared to consider voting for the Lib Dems only in the European elections (8%) than only in the general election (6%) also suggests there is an audience for ‘The party of IN’ – as Mike Smithson notes here. True, the difference is slight and within the margin of error. But that margin of error could mean the difference between the Lib Dems being wiped off the map on 22nd May and retaining a clutch of MEPs.

* Stephen was Editor (and Co-Editor) of Liberal Democrat Voice from 2007 to 2015, and writes at The Collected Stephen Tall.

4 Comments

Neil Craig 27th Feb '14 - 4:38pm

Being seen as willing to debate is almost certainly a vote winner for both parties at the expense of those who refuse to.

I am a little surprised at the antipathy of LDs for UKIP (at least among voters – unsurprised that activists feel that way) after all PR is the policy every LD supports and UKIP is the only other one that does, and of course both parties are pretty much outsiders. [Technically both parties have manifesto commitments to supporting an EU referendum but that raises questions]
Johnmc 27th Feb '14 - 8:06pm

It suggests that the uk is less conservative a society than conventional ‘wisdom’ suggests or the print media represents.
I fear that the LD performance in May will have little to do with in or out, to be honest.
Ed Wilson 27th Feb '14 - 10:21pm

Johnmc
But that’s because we have allowed – over the decades – the Euro-polls to be about anything other than Europe.
Steve Bradley 2nd Mar '14 - 11:10am

One important, but not unexpected, finding in that poll is that Labour supporters are less likely to vote for us now than Tory voters are. I suspect before the coalition it would have been the other way round.

Given that we often rely on squeezing third party voters to snatch victory in seats, and that we are hopeful of gains in Tory facing areas in 2015, our squeeze task is even harder than before. It will be interesting to see how this all plays out next year.