Support for Independents at highest level in four years - poll

Support for independent candidates has reached its highest level since 2011, according to the latest opinion poll.

Sat, 18 Jul, 2015 - 19:06

Support for independent candidates has reached its highest level since 2011, according to the latest opinion poll.

The poll in tomorrow’s Sunday Times shows independents, and potentially the newer political parties, making gains at the expense of their larger rivals.

The poll was carried out by Behaviour & Attitudes between July 4 and 14, so it does not include the newly formed

The polling company said the new parties and entities such as

Some 31% of voters say they would vote independent in a General Election - up five points in the last month - while support for most other parties has fallen.

Labour are down one point to 8%, Fianna Fáil down three points to 18%, Sinn Féín lose two points to stand on 17%. The Greens are down one to 1%.

The only party not to lose support is Fine Gael, which remains on 24%, failing to regain the ground it lost in the wake of the