THE PERFECT POLITICAL CLIMATE FOR THE LEFT?:

Labour support at lowest level since Thatcher's last election victory (Julian Glover, October 25, 2006, The Guardian)

Support for Labour has dropped to its lowest level in almost 20 years with the Conservatives opening up a potentially election-winning 10-point lead, according to a Guardian/ICM poll published today.

Labour has the backing of only 29% of voters, equal to its lowest-ever level of support in a Guardian/ICM poll - recorded in May 1987, a month before Margaret Thatcher won a third term. [...]

The poll, carried out last weekend, follows David Cameron's attack on NHS cuts as well as the publication last week of a party report advocating tax cuts of £21bn.

The results suggest that campaigning on the NHS offers the Tories potential gains, with an overwhelming majority of voters believing that the record sums being spent on health by the government have largely being wasted.

Similarly, because Bill Clinton did not even try to reform SS, the GOP, for whom the issue had once been toxic, won three consecutive elections running on it.

Posted by Orrin Judd at October 25, 2006 8:03 AM