Tory lead over Labour widens to nine points, Survation poll shows

A new poll has indicated that the Tory lead over the Labour Party has widened from six points to nine, with 44% saying they would vote Conservative in a general election compared to 35% who would vote for the opposition.

In a survey carried out between July 31st and August 3rd, Survation has shown that support for Labour fell by two points since last month, but that net favourability ratings for Keir Starmer rose by two points to +9%.

37% of respondents opted for “strongly favourable” or “somewhat favourable” to describe the Labour leader, compared to 28% of those asked who found him “strongly” or “somewhat” unfavourable. 27% said that they were neutral.

In comparison, Boris Johnson proved far more divisive among those surveyed. Net favourability for the Prime Minister fell by three points to 0%, with 43% each finding him unfavourable or favourable and just 4% remaining neutral.

Other polls record a tighter margin. Opinium showed the Tories three points ahead of Labour on 41% in a survey carried out between July 30th and 31st, while Redfield & Wilton Strategies‘ latest poll published on July 29th indicated a five-point lead.

When Survation asked who would make the best PM, Starmer also saw his rating increase on the July figure, by one point. 35% of people preferred him, while 42% opted for Johnson – down three points since the last survey.

The poll also suggested a marked decrease in opinion among the public for the government’s performance, with the net approval rating falling by nine points to -7%. 45% of people were unfavourable, up five points on last month.

A recent poll by Opinium showed a more positive picture for Labour, with the Tory lead in voting intentions having narrowed to just three points, showing the Conservatives on 41% and Labour on 38%.