Theresa May’s Tories have biggest lead in power over Labour since first Gulf War in 1991
PM's tub-thumping conference speech has boosted her party's popularity to a new high
THERESA May’s tub-thumping party conference speech has given the Tories their biggest lead in power over Labour for 25 years.
Pollsters said the Conservatives had jumped to a whopping 47 per cent among voters – up 7 points from September.
It’s the biggest lead over Labour for any Tory Government since the first Gulf War in 1991 and would be enough to give Theresa May nearly 400 seats in a General Election.
Labour is down 5 points to 29 per cent and UKIP is down 3 at 6 per cent.
The Lib Dems have edged up 1 point.
The poll came with the Conservatives poised to win the Witney by-election in David Cameron’s old Oxfordshire constituency tonight despite a late charge by the Lib Dems.
Gideon Skinner, IPSOS Mori head of political research, said: “The Conservatives honeymoon is continuing – for the moment at least.”
Experts put the huge lead down to Theresa May’s blistering speech at the Tory conference, where she pledged to re-position the party on the centre ground.
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She unleashed an extraordinary assault on tax dodgers and fat-cat energy companies in a bid for Labour voters.
But she also stole UKIP support with a promise to put immigration controls at the heart of her Brussels renegotiation.
The 18 point lead is bigger than the one Labour enjoyed over the Tories in 1997 – when Tony Blair swept into Downing Street. IPSOS Mori said it came despite growing fears among voters over the strength of the economy.
More than half of voters – 53 per cent against 37 per cent in September – think the economy will get worse over the next 12 months.
Some 49 per cent believe their own standard of living will be worse as a result of the Brexit vote, up from a third in September.
Mr Skinner said: “Economic optimism had been recovering after the shock of Brexit, but this research shows that a fall in the value of the Pound will still concern the public. But Labour so far is not taking advantage.”