Labour Slumps to 3rd in poll

[jimmy olsen]

Suck it Labor!
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=ap8iQufidpV4

Brown Slumps to 3rd as Election Timetable Published (Update2)

By Robert Hutton and Kitty Donaldson

Sept. 29 (Bloomberg) -- Prime Minister Gordon Brown's ruling Labour Party fell to third place in an opinion poll for the first time since 1982 as activists received a campaign timetable pointing to a May 6 general election in the U.K.

Both Conservatives and Liberal Democrats led Labour in the Ipsos-Mori Ltd. survey finished Sept. 27 and published today. An internal document distributed at the ruling party's annual conference sets out a day-by-day schedule for building support, suggesting a four-week election campaign beginning in April. No date has been fixed for the vote, which must be held by June.

In his address to supporters today in the seaside resort of Brighton, Brown announced measures to tackle crime. It's part of an effort to win back middle-class voters who have flocked to the Conservatives as the economy tipped into recession and the financial services industry teetered on the brink of collapse. Yesterday Chancellor of the Exchequer Alistair Darling attacked bankers and the rich.

"Labour is very, very weak," Ben Page, chief executive officer of Ipsos-Mori, said in an interview at Labour's conference. "The mood here is just terrible. Most people who want to vote Labour say they expect Labour to lose."

The poll shows Labour supported by 24 percent of voters, compared with 25 percent for the Liberal Democrats and 36 percent for the Conservatives. Ipsos-Mori surveyed 1,003 adults. No margin of error was given.

Worst Since 1982

Labour hasn't been placed third in Mori's poll since February 1982, when the party was committed to raising taxes and unilateral nuclear disarmament. Page said the eight point jump for the Liberal Democrat was probably a temporary bounce following the party's conference last week.

"We need to fight, not give up, not give in but fight," Brown told the Labour conference. "Fight to win, fight for Britain."

While Brown has until June 3 to call the vote, local elections are already scheduled on May 6. A 34-page Labour document titled, "General Election Handbook Part 1 -- A day-by- day planner for your general election campaign," was issued to candidates and campaign chiefs this week at the conference.

The document's description of an April campaign suggests that Brown is planning to hold the general election the same day as voting for local officials.

"This would appear to confirm a May 6 election," said Justin Fisher, professor of political science at Brunel University and an expert on election campaigns. "That would protect Labour from any momentum issues should they perform badly in the local government elections."

Daily Tasks

The handbook gives activists specific tasks to perform on every day, granting them 17 days off between Oct. 1 and March 31. On Thursday, March 18, it instructs them to "follow up budget coverage." The Treasury usually publishes its budgets in March or April, though the date is a closely guarded secret until a few weeks before.

The detailed instructions stop at the beginning of April, when candidates are told "increase the campaign activity to a maximum level" and turn to the "Short Campaign Handbook," which covers the final four weeks of an election.

The list of tasks for that month includes organizing a "Flying Start" blitz of activity for the first 48 hours after Brown names the day for voting. It orders activists to "correctly submit your candidate's nomination papers." By law this must be done in the week after an election is called.

The document leaves open the possibility of an earlier election date, telling campaigners in that case to turn to the "Short Campaign Book." That document has not yet been published.

'Best Practice'

"This is just a best practice guide on various campaigning options between now and the last possible date for a general election," a Labour spokeswoman said in an e-mailed statement. "It is for the prime minister to decide when the election will be, and he has made no announcement."

Cabinet ministers today defended Brown's leadership, rejecting suggestions there may be a challenge to his authority unless Labour's position improves.

"Gordon has already shown everyone in this party what a great leader he is," Harriet Harman, Labour's deputy leader, said on the BBC. Home Secretary Alan Johnson told BBC radio that, "you can't pretend 12 years into government you have solved every problem."

Brown's Comment

Brown this afternoon said "whenever and wherever there is anti-social behavior, we will be there to fight it," according to extracts released by his office. "The decent, hard-working majority are getting evermore angry -- rightly so -- with the minority who will talk about their rights but never accept their responsibilities."

Darling, targeting what he called "greed and recklessness" in Britain's financial system, told banks to curtail bonuses and said the rich will pay more in tax.

The first workday in the campaign schedule is Saturday, Oct. 3, when activists are asked to set up stands in their town centers to canvass for support. It's followed by fundraisers, leaflet drops and evenings phoning voters. They're given three days off in October, none in November, and a single Saturday, on Dec. 5, in the month before Christmas.

"The party is focused on the election," Mark Wickham- Jones, professor of politics at Bristol University, said in an interview in Brighton. "They're in denial about how much trouble they're in. All these activities may be more designed to boost morale in the party than to achieve anything."

To contact the reporter on this story: Robert Hutton in Brighton at [email protected]; Kitty Donaldson in Brighton at [email protected]
Last Updated: September 29, 2009 09:54 EDT

[Habbaku]

  Europe just looks better and better this week.

[Jaron]

Why do we hate Labor?

And Tim, why do you spell it "Labour" in the thread title and "Labor" in your post? Make up your mind, cocknugget.

[Ed Anger]

'labia'

[Josquius]

Wrong. They're up 5 points.

Which proves the wrongness of polls in general really.

[Fate]

  Europe just looks better and better this week.

Hurrah for big government right wingers? 

[derspiess]

  Europe just looks better and better this week.

Hurrah for big government right wingers? 

That's the only kind of right winger in Europe, so

[Neil]

Why do we hate Labor?

It's morally wrong.  Only the Tories and Liberals are acceptable.

[MadImmortalMan]

"Labour" is a proper noun in this case, so it should be spelled the way the Brits spell it. The same way it's wrong to spell "Pearl Harbor" with a u.


Also, bring back Tony.

[Admiral Yi]

Hurrah for big government right wingers? 

Anything to save fox hunting.

[Habbaku]

"Labour" is a proper noun in this case, so it should be spelled the way the Brits spell it. The same way it's wrong to spell "Pearl Harbor" with a u.

[Josephus]

The world is going down the tubes fast.

No, wait. Portugal just elected socialists, I think.  Knew IKK was good for something.

[Neil]

The world is going down the tubes fast.

No, wait. Portugal just elected socialists, I think.  Knew IKK was good for something.

Yeah, and just look at your average Portuguese socialist.  Martim Silva is crazy as can be, living in some sort of fairy dreamland.

[Sheilbh]

Why do Americans hate Labour?

[MadImmortalMan]

Why do Americans hate Labour?

We don't.