Rishi Sunak, cabinet members and former prime ministers would lose their seats as MPs if the poll results were replicated in a general election. Getty Images
Rishi Sunak, cabinet members and former prime ministers would lose their seats as MPs if the poll results were replicated in a general election. Getty Images
Rishi Sunak, cabinet members and former prime ministers would lose their seats as MPs if the poll results were replicated in a general election. Getty Images
Rishi Sunak, cabinet members and former prime ministers would lose their seats as MPs if the poll results were replicated in a general election. Getty Images

Tories could be reduced to third UK party, shock opinion poll warns


Simon Rushton
  • English
  • Arabic

Britain’s Conservatives would slide from being in government to becoming the country’s third party were a snap general election to be called today, an opinion poll has indicated.

The survey found that not only would Labour overtake the Conservatives, but also the Scottish Nationalists to become the UK’s second-biggest party.

All three who held the role of prime minister last year — Boris Johnson, Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak — would be ousted as MPs, as would a string of Cabinet members, according to data from Find Out Now polling group and Electoral Calculus.

The poll, first reported by the Conservative-supporting Daily Telegraph newspaper, has been seen as a warning to the party of disillusionment and anger throughout the country.

Chris Holbrook, chief executive of Find Out Now, said the findings would make “shocking reading” for Conservatives.

“Mending perceptions of corruption may be their best hope,” he said.

With the recent controversies that have beset the government, a sense of one-rule-for-them pervaded much of the electorate — Partygate, second-job salaries, breaking Covid travel rules, misleading statements and most recently the eventual firing of Conservative Party chairman Nadhim Zahawi. He had breached the ministerial code by failing to declare an official investigation into his tax affairs.

Electoral Calculus chief executive Martin Baxter said: “The Conservatives have been far behind in the polls for the last four months, with little sign of improvement.

“They have lost support across the country, particularly in traditionally strong Conservative areas, which bodes very badly for the next general election.

“That election could be a near-wipeout and worse than 1997, with the Conservatives not even being the main opposition party.”

According to the poll results, among the big names to be out of a job would be Foreign Secretary James Cleverly and Home Secretary Suella Braverman. Kwasi Kwarteng, the former chancellor in Ms Truss’s brief administration, would lose his seat as an MP.

If the poll were to be repeated at a general election, Labour would win handsomely and form the government. The Scottish Nationalist Party (SNP) would be second and form the opposition, with the Tories in third and the Liberal Democrats fourth.

Labour would win with a landslide 49 per cent of the vote, with the Tories gaining a mere 23 per cent.

Labour would gain 306 seats, for 509 of the 650-seat total. The SNP would be the next-largest party with 50 members in the UK Parliament.

The Conservatives would win only 45 seats, an enormous decline from 365 in 2019.

The Liberal Democrats would end election night up from 11 MPs to 23. Plaid Cymru and the Greens would be unchanged with four and one MP, respectively.

Stephen Flynn, the SNP’s Westminster leader, would become Leader of the Opposition.

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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.

The years Ramadan fell in May

1987

1954

1921

1888

if you go

The flights
Emirates flies to Delhi with fares starting from around Dh760 return, while Etihad fares cost about Dh783 return. From Delhi, there are connecting flights to Lucknow. 
Where to stay
It is advisable to stay in Lucknow and make a day trip to Kannauj. A stay at the Lebua Lucknow hotel, a traditional Lucknowi mansion, is recommended. Prices start from Dh300 per night (excluding taxes). 

The Voice of Hind Rajab

Starring: Saja Kilani, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees

Director: Kaouther Ben Hania

Rating: 4/5

The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE. 

Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part one: how cars came to the UAE

 

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The years Ramadan fell in May

1987

1954

1921

1888

The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting

2. Prayer

3. Hajj

4. Shahada

5. Zakat 

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1921

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Children who witnessed blood bath want to help others

Aged just 11, Khulood Al Najjar’s daughter, Nora, bravely attempted to fight off Philip Spence. Her finger was injured when she put her hand in between the claw hammer and her mother’s head.

As a vital witness, she was forced to relive the ordeal by police who needed to identify the attacker and ensure he was found guilty.

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Khulood’s youngest daughter, Fatima, was seven at the time of the attack and attempted to help paramedics responding to the incident.

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Khulood’s son, Saeed, was nine in 2014 and slept through the attack. While he did not witness the trauma, this made it more difficult for him to understand what had happened. He has ambitions to become an engineer.

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MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League semi-finals, first leg
Liverpool v Roma

When: April 24, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Anfield, Liverpool
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 2, Stadio Olimpico, Rome

Bio

Born in Dubai in 1994
Her father is a retired Emirati police officer and her mother is originally from Kuwait
She Graduated from the American University of Sharjah in 2015 and is currently working on her Masters in Communication from the University of Sharjah.
Her favourite film is Pacific Rim, directed by Guillermo del Toro

The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE. 

Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting 

2. Prayer 

3. Hajj 

4. Shahada 

5. Zakat 

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The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.

Part three: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

Read part one: how cars came to the UAE

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Avengers: Endgame

Directors: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo

Starring: Robert Downey Jr, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Chris Hemsworth, Josh Brolin

4/5 stars 

match info

Southampton 2 (Ings 32' & pen 89') Tottenham Hotspur 5 (Son 45', 47', 64', & 73', Kane 82')

Man of the match Son Heung-min (Tottenham)

Updated: February 09, 2023, 2:54 PM`