Opinion poll puts Lib Dems in second place ahead of Labour

NICK Clegg’s widely praised performance in the leaders’ TV debate has catapulted the Liberal Democrats ahead of Labour in the race for the General Election, according to a poll.

The YouGov daily survey for The Sun suggested the contest had become a real three-horse race, with the Lib Dems on 30% to Labour’s 28% and the Conservatives in the lead on 33%.

Mr Clegg’s party took four points from the Conservatives, three from Labour and one from other parties in the poll, conducted after the historic 90-minute debate was broadcast on ITV1.

The Tories launched a ferocious broadside against the Lib Dems’ “eccentric” policies after Clegg’s victory. However, jubilant Lib Dems hailed their leader’s performance, saying it had transformed the election battle.

Labour responded by underlining how close the two parties were on some key issues while at the same time emphasising that the choice on polling day would be between a Labour government or a Conservative government.

The prospect of a strong Lib Dem showing threatening David Cameron’s hopes of winning an overall majority, the Tories made clear that they intended to target Lib Dems in the run up to the second debate in a week’s time.

The upsurge in Lib Dem support was evidenced among a panel of 4,000 viewers who watched the debate, jumping 14 points from 21% to 35%, leaving them just one point behind the Tories who dropped three from 39% to 36%.

Support for Labour fell three points from 27% to just 24%.

The importance of the debates was underlined by viewing figures which showed a peak audience of 9.9 million tuned in — outstripping even Coronation Street which immediately preceded it on ITV1.

Both Mr Cameron and Gordon Brown conceded their Lib Dem rival had done well.

“I think Nick Clegg was introducing himself in many ways to the public, nationally, for the first time and I think he will be rightly pleased with his performance,” Mr Brown said.

Mr Cameron — who had been expected to shine in the debate — also accepted Mr Clegg had a “good debate”, but insisted the Tories could still triumph on polling day.

“It’s a huge challenge. We are in the middle of a hard-fought and tough election campaign. It’s a campaign I believe we can win. It’s a campaign I believe we ought to win because the country is crying out for change,” he said.

His shadow children’s secretary Michael Gove warned they now intended to subject the Lib Dems’ policy programme to intense scrutiny as they prepared for the next head-to-head on Thursday.

He highlighted Lib Dem plans to join the euro, scrap the Trident nuclear deterrent and offer an amnesty to illegal immigrants, which, he said, lay well outside the political mainstream.

“Nick Clegg, I think, benefits from being the new kid on the block. With novelty comes curiosity, but also with novelty will come, now, increased scrutiny,” he said.

“While Nick Clegg is a very attractive individual in many ways, the policies of his party are outside the mainstream and a little bit eccentric — not necessarily what you would want at a time of crisis and difficulty.”

In contrast, Labour was keen to emphasise areas of agreement with the Lib Dems, with Home Secretary Alan Johnson pointing to their opposition to push through spending cuts this year.

“We agree with the Lib Dems on that. We agree also on the need for really substantial reforms to our constitution — electoral reform in particular,” he said.

At the same time, Transport Secretary Lord Adonis — who has been urging Lib Dem supporters to vote tactically — said votes cast for the Lib Dems increased the chances of the Conservatives gaining power.

Mr Clegg, on the campaign trail in Warrington, expressed his irritation at Labour’s efforts to woo Lib Dem supporters.

“Of course Labour will try to say they speak for progressives in all parties. But they don’t,” he said.

Nevertheless, he was careful to damp down expectations following the debate, saying it had been an “important moment” but stressing there was still a long way to go.