Polls suggest Blair retaining lead despite furore over Iraq

LONDON: Prime Minister Tony Blair is maintaining his lead ahead of next week’s national election, despite a week of controversy over the unpopular war in Iraq, the latest opinion polls suggest. Two polls for Sunday newspapers gave Blair’s Labour Party a lead of eight points over the main opposition Conservatives, while a third poll put Labour six points ahead. An ICM poll for The Sunday Telegraph gave Labour the support of 39 percent of respondents, with the Conservatives at 31 percent and the Liberal Democrats at 22 percent. Labour’s support is the same as in a similar ICM poll a week ago, despite days of opposition attacks on the government over Iraq. A Communicate Research poll for the Independent on Sunday was almost identical, putting Labour at 39 percent, the Conservatives at 31 percent and the Liberal Democrats at 23 percent. A MORI poll for The Observer and Sunday Mirror put Labour at 38 percent, the Conservatives at 32 percent and the Liberal Democrats at 22 percent. All three polls had margins of error of plus or minus three percentage points. ap

Home | Foreign