Nick Clegg’s Liberal Democrats enjoy surge of West Midlands support

Apr 21 2010 by Jonathan Walker, Birmingham Mail

NICK Clegg’s Liberal Democrats have enjoyed a surge of support in the West Midlands since the election campaign began, a new poll has revealed.

Although firmly in third place, the party’s share of the vote has increased by six per cent since the poll was announced.

The Conservatives have a strong lead over the other two parties, but have seen their support fall by five per cent in the past week.

The poll, by YouGov for website Politics Home, was conducted throughout last week, including in the days leading up to the television debate where Nick Clegg was widely seen as the winner.

It suggests that support for the Lib Dems began increasing even before the high-profile debate took place.

The next televised debate is held tomorrow in Bristol, and could be crucial in determining whether the Lib Dem bounce continues until polling day, or fades away.

The survey found that 39 per cent of West Midlands voters planned to back the Conservatives with 31 per cent backing Labour and 23 per cent backing the Liberal Democrats.