Labour has pulled level with the Conservatives, according to the latest Opinium poll for the Observer that suggests significant potential support for a new party.
Jeremy Corbyn’s party had trailed the Tories by seven points two weeks ago. However, the result proved to be a blip and both parties are now on 37% of the national vote. It marks a return to the tight poll results that have been a feature in recent months.
Approval of the Labour leader’s Brexit response has gone up slightly over the past fortnight. The poll found that 17% approve of his Brexit response, while 57% disapprove – a net approval rating of -40%. It is an improvement from the -45% recorded a fortnight ago, in which 16% approved of his performance and 61% disapproved.
The poll confirmed that a large proportion of the public are disillusioned with the two main parties. Almost half (41%) think that both Labour and the Conservatives have become extreme, with 39% of Tory voters and 37% of Labour voters agreeing with this. A similar number (42%) think neither party stands for anything.
Two-fifths (40%) think a new political party would be the best way for people like them to be represented, while 59% would consider voting for a new centre-ground party.
Support for Theresa May’s Brexit deal remains low after the prime minister’s latest Commons defeat on Thursday. Only 12% think May’s EU withdrawal deal is good, while 48% think it is bad. Half (51%) of voters who backed the Tories in 2017 think their MPs should back the deal, down from 55% two weeks ago.
The public remains deeply divided over what should happen if MPs cannot agree a Brexit deal. While 42% think Brexit should be delayed and a public vote held, the same proportion think Britain should simply leave the EU with no deal in March.
If a referendum was held between remaining in the EU and leaving on the terms of May’s deal, 46% would vote to remain while 35% would vote for the deal.
Expectation that Britain will leave with a deal has remained consistent over the past fortnight, with 21% thinking it is the most likely outcome. More than a third (36%) believe we will leave without a deal, while a quarter (24%) think Britain will not leave the EU in March.
Opinium polled 2,005 adults online between 13 February and 15 February.
