TV debates have little effect on voting habits, according to Post survey
The televised leaders debates have had little effect on voting intentions in the General Election, according to a poll of Birmingham Post readers.
Nearly half of those who took part in the poll - 45 per cent - said the debates had affected their voting intentions “not at all”. Another 39 per cent said the debates had affected them “a little” and just 16 per cent said the debates had affected their intentions “a lot”.
The poll found 40 per cent of respondents planned to vote Labour, with 26 per cent backing the Liberal Democrats and 24 per cent backing the Conservatives.
Gordon Brown was named the best candidate to be Prime Minister by 45 per cent of respondents with 28 per cent preferring Nick Clegg and 27 per cent backing David Cameron.
The economy was named the most important issue in the campaign, with 63 per cent saying it was a “vital” issue. In second place was education, named as a “vital” issue by 41 per cent of respondents.
A total of 555 people responded to the survey, which was open to all readers who wanted to take part.
Meanwhile, a separate poll has predicted Conservatives are on course to win a range of West Midlands seats from Labour despite growing support for the Liberal Democrats.
Constituencies including Edgbaston, Dudley North, Dudley South, Stourbridge and Halesowen & Rowley Regis are all likely to switch from Labour to Tory, according to a survey by YouGov and Politics Home.
Nuneaton, Tamworth and Redditch are also set to switch from red to blue.
If the poll’s predictions are correct, well-known Labour figures who could lose their seats include Jacqui Smith, the former Home Secretary, as well as Ian Austin, the Minister for the West Midlands, and Lynda Waltho, his deputy in the West Midlands role.
It would also mean Gisela Stuart, the Edgbaston Labour candidate who defied Gordon Brown to demand a referendum on the EU Lisbon Treaty, would lose her battle to stay in Parliament.
