Poll shows Britain’s Conservatives trail opposition Labour by 18 points

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FILE PHOTO: Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer walks with Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak during the State Opening of Parliament ceremony, at the Houses of Parliament, in London, Britain November 7, 2023. REUTERS/Hannah McKay/Pool/File Photo

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak (right) and Labour leader Keir Starmer are increasingly making the economy a pre-election battleground.

PHOTO: REUTERS

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LONDON - The opposition Labour Party’s lead over British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s governing Conservative Party has increased to 18 points, according to an opinion poll published on May 19.

A national election is expected later in 2024. The poll, conducted by Opinium Research, predicted Labour would take 43 per cent of the vote, versus 25 per cent for the Conservatives.

Its previous poll had given Labour a 16-point lead.

Mr Sunak and Labour leader Keir Starmer are increasingly making the economy a pre-election battleground. Opinium underlined that Labour led across the board on economic issues, including on improving public services and running the economy.

Opinium said it carried out the online survey of 2,029 British adults from May 15 to 17.

A YouGov poll for the Times newspaper, published on May 9, put Labour's lead at 30 points.

The Conservatives have been in government, either in coalition or on their own, since 2010, with the tenure largely marked by Britain’s vote to leave the European Union and controversy over the handling of the Covid-19 crisis.

The country has had five different prime ministers in that time. REUTERS

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