The NHS has now become the top concern of voters, according to a new poll. Handling of the health service has been steadily rising as a prominent election issue in recent months, and the crisis in A&E care over recent weeks has seen this level of interest accelerate.
Today’s polling, carried out by Ipsos MORI for the Evening Standard, shows the NHS is now the top issue for helping voters to decide which party to vote for – overtaking both immigration and the economy.
Concern over the issue has skyrocketed in just a few short months: Ipsos MORI have documented a 17 point rise, from 29% in September to 46% now. The next most salient issue, managing the economy, is currently considered a vital issue by just 33%.
Labour will be pleased the story makes front page of the London paper, meaning it could potentially be seen by over a million commuters today.
Similar polling done by ComRes was released earlier this week, revealing that the NHS had overtaken immigration as the second most important topic for voters. With A&E chaos still dominating the news, however, it is not surprising to see it rise further still.
Meanwhile, research from former Tory donor Lord Ascroft led him to conclude yesterday that the Tories were considered “toxic” when it came to protecting the NHS. His polling shows Labour lead by 18 points on the issue.
The Standard’s poll of voting intention sees Labour lead by one point: Labour 34%, Tories 33%, UKIP 11%, Lib Dems 8%, Green Party 8%.
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