Rock-solid Labour set to crumble in Wales, says poll
THE Tories are on course to win a majority of parliamentary seats in Wales for the first time in over 100 years, research suggested last night.
A projection based on a poll commissioned by ITV Cymru Wales News forecast that Theresa May’s party could take 21 out of the 40 Welsh constituencies.
The astonishing prediction of a Conservative triumph in once rock-solid Labour territory comes as the Prime Minister heads to Cardiff today.
In an election campaign speech, the Prime Minister will sound the alarm that “divisive” nationalist parties are plotting to thwart her Brexit plans.
Plaid Cymru and Nicola Sturgeon’s Scottish National Party “are already seeking to disrupt our negotiations” for a new deal with Brussels, she will say.
And she will go on to highlight co-operation between the Welsh nationalists and Labour as stark evidence of the “coalition of chaos” that could help Jeremy Corbyn into Downing Street.
Grabbed
Ten Labour seats are tipped to be grabbed by the Tories in the June 8 election, according to the Welsh Political Barometer calculations.
It was the first opinion poll to be conducted in Wales since Mrs May called the snap election last week and follows a separate poll at the weekend indicating the Conservatives could win around 12 seats in Scotland. They currently have one.
Plaid Cymru and the Lib Dems were expected to maintain their current numbers of MPs in Wales, three and one respectively, according to the survey.
Many voters who backed Ukip in Wales at the 2015 election were expected to switch to the Tories, according to the research.
Seats expected to fall to the Tories from Labour included Alyn and Deeside, Bridgend, Cardiff South and Penarth, Cardiff West, Clwyd South, Delyn, Newport East, Newport West, Wrexham and Ynys Mon.
Based on a poll of just over 1,000 voters at the end of last week by YouGov, the Welsh Political Barometer predicted a 40 per cent vote share for the Tories in Wales, up 12 points on the last general election in 2015.