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Labour opens 17-point lead over Conservatives in London: Poll

Thursday, 01 June 2017 10:08 PM [ Last Update: Friday, 02 June 2017 3:11 AM ]

Opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn gives a thumbs up as he receives applause during an election campaign event in Basildon, east of London on June 1, 2017. (Photo by AFP)

Opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn is now London's favorite candidate for the British prime minister as his party has opened a 17-point lead over the ruling Conservatives in the capital, according to a newly released poll.

The YouGov poll, commissioned by the Evening Standard, sees Corbyn overtake Prime Minister Theresa May as the preferred choice to lead the country among Londoners.

This is a remarkable change in fortunes for Labour, which was 24 points behind the ruling party when the snap general election was called in April by Prime Minister May. The general election will be held on June 8.

All recent polls have shown that the opposition led by Corbyn has made significant gains in recent weeks. The Tory lead is slowly crumbling as Election Day is approaching, while seat projections have pointed to a hung parliament.

Asked by pollsters who would make the best the British prime minister, 37 percent picked Corbyn and 34 percent May. A poll conducted just after the manifesto launches last month had May ahead by 38 to 32.

Labour now stands on 50 percent on voting intention, up from 41 percent a month ago, the new poll shows. The Conservatives are on 33 percent, down from 36 percent last month.

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According to a poll released on Tuesday, May could lose overall majority in the June 8 election.

YouGov’s first constituency-by-constituency estimate of the election results predicts that the Conservative Party could lose 20 seats and Labour could gain almost 30 in the election.

That means Tories could ultimately win 310 seats at the election, falling short of an absolute majority of 326 seats needed to form a government.

Such a result on June 9 would be catastrophic for May, who called for the snap election, arguing the UK needed certainty, stability and strong leadership in Brexit negotiations with the EU.

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