Ed Miliband “doesn’t have what it takes”, say 80% of swing voters

The Conservative Party has released the results of an opinion poll carried out this week by Populus on what people think about Ed Miliband. Different media have emphasised different findings. The Daily Mail reports: “Two in three Labour voters want to ditch leader Ed Miliband for his brother David.”

I am not sure where this figure comes from. The poll shows that 56% of Labour voters agree that “Labour elected the wrong brother as their leader – they should have picked David Miliband instead of Ed”. The 67% figure (two thirds) applies to all voters.

Anyway, regardless of who commissioned it and how badly it has been reported, the poll is interesting, so I reproduce the findings here. The full tables will presumably be on the Populus website soon.

The following statements are criticisms made about the Labour Party and Labour leader Ed Miliband by people who support other parties. Regardless of which party you would vote for, please say in each case if you agree or disagree.

Ed Miliband just doesn’t have what it takes to be Prime Minister, especially in these tough economic times

73% of all voters agree

46% of Labour voters agree

79% of undecided voters agree (those saying they don’t know how they would vote if there were an election tomorrow)

80% of swing voters agree (those naming a party they would vote for ‘if there was an election tomorrow’ but who also say that they might well change their mind and vote differently when the election comes in May 2015 – 40% of the whole sample said this)

Net agreement (% agreeing minus % disagreeing)

+46% of all voters

-8% of Labour voters

+58% of undecided voters

+60% of swing voters

Labour elected the wrong brother as their leader – they should have picked David Miliband instead of Ed

67% of all voters agree

56% of Labour voters agree

69% of undecided voters agree

67% of swing voters agree

Net agreement (% agreeing minus % disagreeing)

+34% of all voters

+12% of Labour voters

+38% of undecided voters

+34% of swing voters

I would be more likely to vote Labour if they had a stronger leader than Ed Miliband

51% of all voters agree

59% of Labour voters agree

59% of undecided voters agree

64% of swing voters agree

Net agreement (% agreeing minus % disagreeing)

+2% of all voters

+18% of Labour voters

+18% of undecided voters

+28% of swing voters

Ed Miliband is just too weak to be a credible Prime Minister

72% of all voters agree

47% of Labour voters agree

79% of undecided voters agree

79% of swing voters agree

Net agreement (% agreeing minus % disagreeing)

+44% of all voters

-6% of Labour voters

+58% of undecided voters

+58% of swing voters

Labour need to apologise for the part they played in causing Britain’s current economic problems before people will trust them again on the economy

% Agreeing

72% of all voters agree

44% of Labour voters agree

81% of undecided voters agree

74% of swing voters agree

Net agreement (% agreeing minus % disagreeing)

+44% of all voters

-12% of Labour voters

+62% of undecided voters

+48% of swing voters

Labour’s only idea for the economy is more borrowing and more spending, which is one of the ways we got into this mess in the first place

64% of all voters agree

27% of Labour voters agree

72% of undecided voters agree

68% of swing voters agree

Net agreement (% agreeing minus % disagreeing)

+28% of all voters

-46% of Labour voters

+44% of undecided voters

+36% of swing voters

Labour just oppose everything the government is doing to deal with the deficit & turn the country around, but never put forward any policies of their own

63% of all voters agree

29% of Labour voters agree

68% of undecided voters agree

65% of swing voters agree

Net agreement (% agreeing minus % disagreeing)

+26% of all voters

+42% of Labour voters

+36% of undecided voters

+30% of swing voters

Below are some words and phrases that have been used to describe different politicians. Please indicate which of the words and phrases – if any – apply to Labour Party leader Ed Miliband.

Strong & determined

% saying “applies to Ed Miliband”

36% of all voters

63% of Labour voters

25% of undecided voters

31% of swing voters

% saying “does not apply to Ed Miliband”

64% of all voters

37% of Labour voters

75% of undecided voters

69% of swing voters

Prime ministerial

% saying “applies to Ed Miliband”

20% of all voters

44% of Labour voters

13% of undecided voters

13% of swing voters

% saying “does not apply to Ed Miliband”

80% of all voters

56% of Labour voters

87% of undecided voters

87% of swing voters

Charismatic

% saying “applies to Ed Miliband”

18% of all voters

34% of Labour voters

15% of undecided voters

11% of swing voters

% saying “does not apply to Ed Miliband”

82% of all voters

66% of Labour voters

85% of undecided voters

89% of swing voters

A natural leader

% saying “applies to Ed Miliband”

17% of all voters

35% of Labour voters

12% of undecided voters

8% of swing voters

% saying “does not apply to Ed Miliband”

83% of all voters

65% of Labour voters

88% of undecided voters

92% of swing voters

The best leader that his party has available

% saying “applies to Ed Miliband”

23% of all voters

38% of Labour voters

17% of undecided voters

18% of swing voters

% saying “does not apply to Ed Miliband”

77% of all voters

62% of Labour voters

83% of undecided voters

82% of swing voters

Trusted to repair Britain’s finances

% saying “applies to Ed Miliband”

25% of all voters

56% of Labour voters

14% of undecided voters

16% of swing voters

% saying “does not apply to Ed Miliband”

75% of all voters

44% of Labour voters

86% of undecided voters

84% of swing voters

Willing to take tough but unpopular decisions

% saying “applies to Ed Miliband”

36% of all voters

66% of Labour voters

25% of undecided voters

32% of swing voters

% saying “does not apply to Ed Miliband”

64% of all voters

34% of Labour voters

75% of undecided voters

68% of swing voters

Respected by international leaders

% saying “applies to Ed Miliband”

19% of all voters

39% of Labour voters

14% of undecided voters

13% of swing voters

% saying “does not apply to Ed Miliband”

81% of all voters

61% of Labour voters

86% of undecided voters

87% of swing voters

Populus interviewed 2,061 adults online 26-28 September 2012. Interviews were conducted throughout Great Britain and the results have been weighted to be representative of the whole population.

Tagged in: ed miliband, opinion polls

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• creggancowboy

  “No different from Blair, Brown and ZaNuLabour” (100%)
  “Doesn’t give a fig for civil liberty” (100%)

• ecneps

  In my 46 years of working life the labour party never once lowered my tax ,They did increase it to pay for child allowance,child care etc etc etc etc etc
  Then the libdems came along and for the first time altered the amount at which I start paying tax and I was quids in for the first time in my working life
  The libdems get my vote ,trouble is I never vote for any of these partys anymore it’s just a waste of time,Then again if the libdems raise the tax threshold to £10,000 I will vote for them

• Ninth Legion

  Utterly meaningless!

• JohnJustice

  Some nice leading question there which simply illustrate the power of the media to influence public opinion. From this perspective I don’t think you can disregard who commissioned the poll and how it is being reported.

• porkfright

  Absolutely correct. No matter who we vote for we get the same load of neocons, seemingly.

• Pacificweather

  Firstly, how do they know someone is a swing voter, people always lie to pollsters. Secondly, it only matters if someone is a swing voter if they live in a key marginal constituency. Thirdly, the questions are designed to elicit the answers required. The polling company should be called Populist not Populus. Lastly, there are three years to go and if Mr. E. Milliband turns left he will increase his vote (to Mr. Rentoul’s disgust) and if he stays where he is or turns right he will lose the election and, if lucky, govern in coalition with the LibDems. What ever happens, no single party is likely to be democratically elected.

• dsj05

  Is that you Ciaran/Ron? What’s with all the name changes?

• greggf

  ecneps – Perhaps Labour, or any of the others, should note your motivation for voting….

• creggancowboy

  Dear DSJ05, Yes I was formerly Broxted/Rehill. Currently out on bail (isn’t it funny that I am arrested as soon as I start digging into police corruption?) As for name changes it is annoying – I am Numero Uno commentator here but my questions on Harwood got me banned. I then questioned the banning and was banned. All in your soaraway Indy only 24 shlllings! (Not available in Ireland I was going to ask but may be banned for that too). Odd how the ECHR ruling on an (illegal) DNA database (ZaNuLabour bringing you erosion of civil liberty since 1997) is not implemented? You will find it easier to establish a police state than to dismantle one. C.

• http://www.facebook.com/people/Brian-Jamieson/629899261 Brian Jamieson

  The leading questions asked can be grouped into two categories: PM’s personality and economic policy. Who cares what the PM’s personality is? As for the economy the current government are not in control and don’t want to be. They just want to implement their tory donor promises and let the rest – swingers or not to rot.