Sunak wipes 4 points off Labour’s lead with new Brexit deal

Rishi Sunak says companies are ‘queueing up’ to invest in NI

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Rishi Sunak’s success in landing a Brexit deal with the EU over Northern Ireland has given the Conservatives their biggest boost in the polls since he became leader. According to the weekly tracker poll by Techne UK for the Daily Express, the Tories have wiped off four points from Labour’s leader in a week from 22 percent to 18.

The findings put Labour on 47 percent (down two) while the Conservatives were on 29 percent (up two).

The Lib Dems remain on eight percent, Reform UK six percent and the Greens five percent.

Michela Morizzo, chief executive of Techne UK, said: “This has been a very important week for Rishi Sunak and the Conservative Party.

“The much heralded Windsor Framework deal announced on Monday with the EU, which it is hoped will sort once and for all the many problems stemming from the current Northern Ireland Protocol, really could reflect a significant turning point for Prime Minister Sunak.

“This is no doubt the first time that Rishi Sunak has been thought of by the electorate as Prime Ministerial and as I have said before, once again proves that voters favour concrete actions – and are not very interested per se in the Party colour if important things get done.

“It is very early days, but no doubt our poll this week brings very good news indeed for Prime Minister Sunak and his Conservative Party.”

While the poll represents a major improvement on the Conservatives’ position, it still leaves them facing a humiliating election defeat.

If this was the result of an election, Electoral Calculus predicts that the Conservatives would have their lowest-ever total of seats of 134 while Labour would have a majority of 228.

However, in a sign of an improvement in the last seven days, based on a poll of polls of last week’s surveys, Electoral Calculus had suggested the Tories could be the fourth largest party on just 32 seats.

Nevertheless, the Tories trail in almost every age and socio-economic category to Labour.

According to the findings, voters aged 65 plus are on balance more likely to vote Conservative by 40 percent to 38 percent.

Meanwhile, almost one in five 2019 Tory voters (19 percent) have switched to Labour and not gone back.

Leave voters from 2016 are still more likely to vote Conservative 48 percent to Labour’s 28 percent.

But despite the boost in the polls there are concerns that a split in the Tories over the Brexit deal could see the hard won gains disappear again.

With Boris Johnson suggesting he would oppose the Northern Ireland deal today, there is a much higher chance of a significant Tory rebellion.

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