Britain's Tories unlikely to win majority
Source: Agencies |
May 4, 2010, Tuesday
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Print Edition
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Britain's three main party leaders fanned out across the country yesterday to campaign in target districts, as a new poll suggested the Conservatives were leading, but unlikely to win a majority.
With just days to go before Thursday's vote, the poll in yesterday's Guardian newspaper showed David Cameron's Tories ahead by five percentage points, but the newspaper said the support was insufficient to take a majority of seats in Britain's House of Commons. To secure a majority, a party must win at least 326 seats out of 650.
The ICM/Guardian poll put the Tories at 33 percent. The Labour Party, led by Prime Minister Gordon Brown, and the Liberal Democrats, led by Nick Clegg, were tied with 28 percent each.
The survey questioned 1,026 adults by telephone from April 20 to Sunday. No margin of error was given, but in samples that size it is plus or minus 3 percent.
The three candidates were expected to separately address a citizens' forum in London later yesterday.
Polls throughout the campaign have suggested no party will take a majority of seats, known in Britain as a "hung parliament" - a situation that could make Clegg and his party the kingmakers. They could barter with both the Conservatives and Labour, pushing the issues that are most important to them, such as changing Britain's electoral system, in exchange for their support.
Over the weekend, Brown acknowledged that his party - which currently holds 345 seats in the Commons - is the underdog. "But," he said, "we're fighting with every inch of our being."
With just days to go before Thursday's vote, the poll in yesterday's Guardian newspaper showed David Cameron's Tories ahead by five percentage points, but the newspaper said the support was insufficient to take a majority of seats in Britain's House of Commons. To secure a majority, a party must win at least 326 seats out of 650.
The ICM/Guardian poll put the Tories at 33 percent. The Labour Party, led by Prime Minister Gordon Brown, and the Liberal Democrats, led by Nick Clegg, were tied with 28 percent each.
The survey questioned 1,026 adults by telephone from April 20 to Sunday. No margin of error was given, but in samples that size it is plus or minus 3 percent.
The three candidates were expected to separately address a citizens' forum in London later yesterday.
Polls throughout the campaign have suggested no party will take a majority of seats, known in Britain as a "hung parliament" - a situation that could make Clegg and his party the kingmakers. They could barter with both the Conservatives and Labour, pushing the issues that are most important to them, such as changing Britain's electoral system, in exchange for their support.
Over the weekend, Brown acknowledged that his party - which currently holds 345 seats in the Commons - is the underdog. "But," he said, "we're fighting with every inch of our being."
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