Liberal Democrats jump to best poll rating in five years

Political reporter(wp/es):

The Liberal Democrats have jumped to their best poll rating in five years after the Richmond Park by-election, an exclusive poll reveals today.

Their vote is up from 10 to 14 points in the monthly Ipsos MORI Political Monitor survey - their biggest share since August 2011.

At the same time, leader Tim Farron’s personal ratings have improved, with satisfaction in his performance rising from 23 per cent to 27.

And the research found the Lib-Dems a clear five points ahead of Ukip, who are also up slightly.

The apparent success vindicates Mr Farron’s decision to pour the party’s resources behind Sarah Olney’s triumph in unseating Zac Goldsmith in the west London by-election, which his team pitched as a battle of soft versus hard Brexit.

The party has languished since former Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg led his side into Coalition with David Cameron and promptly raised maximum university fees.

In other key findings today:

• Theresa May’s Conservatives have an 11-point lead Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour, with the Tories at 40 per cent (down two points) and Labour on 29 (down four).
• Mr Corbyn has the worst ratings of any of the four main British leaders, with just 26 per cent satisfied with him and a two-to-one majority of 58 per cent dissatisfied.
• Ukip has improved two points with Paul Nuttall installed as new leader but they are in fourth place, at nine per cent. Half the public do not yet have a view on Mr Nuttall’s performance in the job - and of those that do, they are two-to-one dissatisfied.
• Caroline Lucas’s Greens are marooned on three per cent - a point below the combined support for Scottish and Welsh Nationalists who do not campaign in England.
• Satisfaction with the Government has dropped since November, with the proportion who are satisfied with the way it is running the country falling from 43 per cent to 36. Satisfaction with Mrs May has dropped from 54 to 50 but her ratings are higher than the other leaders.
• Experts cautioned Mr Farron, who was campaigning on the NHS in his constituency this morning, not to be surprised if the apparent bounce fails to last.
  Gideon Skinner, head of political research at Ipsos MORI, said: “Richmond Park was a positive sign – and news story - for the Lib-Dems after their lows in recent years.
  "But as always no-one should get carried away from just one poll. There’s still a very long way for them to go, and it could just be a short-term effect.”
• Meanwhile, economic optimism has dipped in the past month. Half (51 per cent) think things will get worse in the year ahead, with just 24 per cent thinking they will get better.