Britain streamer for hung council – Guardian/ICM check Politics

The Conservatives should no longer equate on winning the choosing outright, according to a Guardian/ICM check published today.

The new consult suggests Britain is on march for a hung council among unsatisfactory open await for David Cameron"s party.

The antithesis have additionally lost belligerent on key process issues, together with the economy, and in sold might be losing their debate opposite Labour"s supposed "death tax". Labour leads the Tories by eight points as the celebration with the infancy appropriate process on caring for the elderly.

The dual parties are neck and neck on their capability to sort out the mercantile crisis, opposite a nine-point Tory lead when the subject was last asked in Aug 2009.

With no some-more than 3 months to go until polling day, the Conservatives have depressed to 37%, down 3 on last month"s Guardian/ICM check and down dual on an additional ICM check progressing this month.

The celebration has not depressed so low in an ICM check given the tail finish of the promissory note crisis, last descending to 37% in Feb 2008.

As not long ago as last Oct the Tories strike 45% in an ICM check and the celebration will be dumbfounded by this ultimate justification that the competition is tightening, that confirms the commentary of a little alternative new polls.

Meanwhile Labour"s support, at 30%, is eight points up on the comprehensive ICM bottom last May, and somewhat on top of the normal for the second piece of last year. However, there is no pointer of possibly a progress for the celebration following Gordon Brown"s Piers Morgan talk or a tumble after this weekend"s reports about Brown bullying his staff.

Labour"s await is up one point on the last Guardian/ICM check and unvaried from the infancy new ICM poll. Research began last Friday and infancy was carried out prior to the serialisation of Andrew Rawnsley"s book in yesterday"s Observer, that might have influenced Labour support. Around a fifth of responses were picked up on Sunday.

Nick Clegg"s hopes of a absolute place in a hung council are additionally increased by today"s poll, that puts the Liberal Democrats on 20%, unvaried from the infancy new ICM and down one on last month"s Guardian poll.

All this suggests that Labour and the Lib Dems are holding solid whilst the Conservatives lose a little belligerent to not as big parties, that are on a sum of 13%. Nationalists are on 5%, Ukip and the Greens on 3% each and the BNP on 2%.

Estimates of what these shares would meant for the parties on polling day vary, but a 7% lead is at the margins of what the Tories think they need to win a majority. One educational calculation suggests the outcome would leave Labour usually twenty-five seats at the back of the Tories in a hung parliament, nonetheless any softened Tory opening in extrinsic seats would equivalent that.

• ICM Research interviewed a pointless representation of 1,004 adults by write on 19-21 Feb 2010. ­Interviews were conducted opposite the nation and the formula have been weighted to the form of all adults. ICM is a part of of the British Polling Council and abides by the rules