Thursday night's historic televised debate may have focused the voters even more upon the popularity contest between the "big three" party leaders - but when it comes to actual policies, an independent website suggests the public prefers what the Green Party has to offer, the Greens pointed out today.
The Vote for Policies website at www.voteforpolicies.org.uk surveys opinion according to which policies people support - without initially saying which parties' policies they are. As the website says:
"Vote for Policies makes it easy to compare what the political parties are promising to do. It helps you make an informed, unbiased decision about who to vote for. Find out which party you really support..."
Green Party lead holds up well
A week ago, after more than 60,000 votes had been cast, the Greens were runaway leaders with over 28% of the vote. Today, with just under 130,000 votes having been cast, the Greens are still way ahead, with a fraction under 28%. The Lib Dems are unchanged at 18%. Labour and the Conservatives still trail with 17% and 16% respectively, with UKIP failing to achieve 11% and the BNP on less than 10% (1).
The policy areas from which voters are asked to select their preferences include crime, democracy, economy, education, environment, Europe, NHS, immigration and welfare.
Caroline Lucas, leader of the Green Party, commented:
"The findings of this survey echo what we've been hearing from voters up and down the country. The vast majority of voters can see the policies of the main parties aren't working and they're crying out for change."
In Caroline Lucas's Brighton Pavilion constituency, a recent ICM poll put the Green Party ahead of its rival parties with 35% of the vote. YouGov has also predicted a Green win in Brighton Pavilion, and the UK's biggest online betting site, Betfair, currently shows Caroline Lucas as odds-on favourite.
Note
1. The exact percentages after 129,498 votes had been cast (around 1600 on Saturday 17 April) were: Greens 27.62, Lib Dems 18.03, Labour 17.43, Conservatives 16.45, UKIP 10.80, BNP 9.68.