More than half of voters could back brand new centrist party - poll
2 min read
More than half of the public could back a brand new political party at the next election, a poll has suggested.
Some 52% of voters said they would mull voting for a new centre-ground movement in a future contest, according to a BMG survey for the Independent.
The result marks a massive increase of nine percentage points since the question was previously asked by the same pollster in April.
It comes amid increasing speculation that a new centre-ground movement could be formed by Lib Dems, Labour MPs disillusioned by the leadership of Jeremy Corbyn and Tory MPs who want to stop Brexit.
Meanwhile, an Opinium poll for the Observer found 42% of voters would be likely to vote for a new centre-ground movement if one were formed tomorrow.
According to the survey, 35% of voters said they felt unrepresented by the existing top political parties on offer.
The strife in the two main parties was laid bare by the poll, with 47% of voters saying Theresa May was a weak leader while 49% thought the same about Mr Corbyn.
And the same proportion (57%) thought both the Tories and Labour were divided - with the former up from 47% in December last year and the latter up from 40%.
Just this weekend Lib Dem leader Vince Cable reached out to centre-ground voters and urged them to find a home in his party.
Speaking ahead of the annual Lib Dem conference in Brighton, he said he wanted to make a “pitch to the people of this country who are fed up with the extremes of the current Conservative and Labour parties”.
And he added: “Whether you see yourself as a liberal, social democrat, progressive, or centrist, there is a home for you here, particularly as we fight Brexit together.”
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