Now even 42% of Labour voters say Ed isn’t fit to be PM
SUPPORT for Ed Miliband is plummeting even among his party’s supporters, an opinion poll found yesterday.
YouGov found that only 34 per cent of people who voted Labour at the last General Election believe Mr Miliband is up to the job of Prime Minister, compared to 51 per cent just a month ago.
The poll – for The Sunday Times – found that 42 per cent no longer think he could do the job at all, against 28 per cent last month. The sheer scale of the unhappiness is also highlighted by the fact that 45 per cent of those who voted Labour in 2010 believe he should quit as party leader.
Labour are also now behind the Conservatives when Ed Miliband’s name is mentioned to voters – but would move back into the lead under either former home secretary Alan Johnson or David Miliband, the poll revealed.
The two main parties both recorded 33 per cent support, with Ukip on 16 per cent and the Liberal Democrats on 7 per cent. But when Ed Miliband’s name was mentioned in association with Labour, the Tories took a two-point lead, on 33 per cent to 31.
If his brother David returned to the Commons and became Labour leader, the poll suggested the party would have a six-point lead over the Tories.
But neither Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper nor her husband, Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls, would do anything to improve Labour’s prospects as leader, it found. Of all voters, only 7 per cent of voters think Mr Miliband has been a strong leader, with 59 per cent viewing him as weak.
A separate poll, by Survation for The Mail on Sunday, showed that if Mr Miliband were replaced by Mr Johnson or suave business spokesman Chuka Umunna, Labour’s fourpoint lead over the Tories would double. That extra support could gain Labour an extra 50 seats, pollsters say.
When asked to choose between Mr Miliband, Mr Umunna, Miss Cooper, Mr Balls or Mr Johnson in 15 categories, Mr Miliband came last in eight of them. Mr Johnson won six categories and Mr Umunna five.