Lib Dem Voice polled our members-only forum recently to discover what Lib Dem members think of various political issues, the Coalition, and the performance of key party figures. Some 550 party members have responded, and we’re publishing the full results.
Cameron ends the year a nose ahead of Miliband among Lib Dems
We’ve been asking this question for 15 months, and over the past year there has been quite a reversal in fortunes for the two party leaders, as this graph illustrates:
Here’s the detail from this month’s survey…
Do you think David Cameron is doing well or badly as Prime Minister? (Comparison with November’s results in brackets.)
- 1% – Very well
- 33% – Well
- 49% – Badly
- 14% – Very badly
- 4% – Don’t know
Total well = 34% (+7%)
Total badly = 63% (-6%)
Do you think Ed Miliband is doing well or badly as leader of the Labour party?
- 2% – Very well
- 31% – Well
- 47% – Badly
- 17% – Very badly
- 4% – Don’t know
Total well = 33% (-3%)
Total badly = 64% (+4%)%
A year ago, David Cameron was recording positive net figures even among Lib Dems, while Ed Miliband was plunging the depths of popular opinion. Today, perceptions of the Tory and Labour leaders has converged among Lib Dems, both scoring near-identical negative ratings of -29% and -31% respectively. Though I don’t suppose either are bothered by what Lib Dem members think of them, it’s an interesting barometer of their credibility as potential partners if there were to be another post-2015 coalition.
As I customarily note, rating David Cameron’s performance as Prime Minister is a different question from rating his performance as Conservative party leader (whether Mr Cameron’s ratings would be higher or lower among Lib Dem members if we asked that question, I don’t know. Though I could hazard a guess).
- Over 1,200 Lib Dem paid-up party members are registered with LibDemVoice.org. Over 500 responded to the latest survey, which was conducted between 7th and 11th December.
- Please note: we make no claims that the survey is fully representative of the Lib Dem membership as a whole. However, LibDemVoice.org’s surveys are the largest independent samples of the views of Lib Dem members across the country, and have in the past offered accurate guides to what party members think.
- For further information on the reliability/credibility of our surveys, please refer to FAQs: Are the Liberal Democrat Voice surveys of party members accurate? and polling expert Anthony Wells’ verdict, On that poll of Lib Dem members.
- The full archive of our members’ surveys can be viewed at www.libdemvoice.org/category/ldv-members-poll
* Stephen was Editor (and Co-Editor) of Liberal Democrat Voice from 2007 to 2015, and writes at The Collected Stephen Tall.
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5 Comments
…..As a headline “Cameron ends the year a nose ahead of Miliband among Lib Dems” is true but hardly the underlying ‘truth’…
What the figures reveal is that there has been an almost complete reversal in the perception of Milliband and Cameron.
This “What the figures reveal is that there has been an almost complete reversal in the perception of Milliband and Cameron”.
yes, Miliband’s ‘popularity’ has risen massively from -60% to, err, -30%.
john mc: “yes, Miliband’s ‘popularity’ has risen massively from -60% to, err, -30%”
still this annie: “What the figures reveal is that there has been an almost complete reversal in the perception of Milliband and Cameron”
john mc 4th Jan ’13 – 11:58pm……………………..yes, Miliband’s ‘popularity’ has risen massively from -60% to, err, -30%……….
A far more pertinent remark would have been, ‘yes,Cameron’s‘popularity’ has fallen massively from +40% to, err, -30%……….
However, I notice how, since the ‘merger’, a section of posters target their criticism at Labour; choosing to mock a 30% rise rather than a 70% fall