Nigel Farage’s UK Independence Party is on course for further success in next year’s European elections, according to a new poll.
The survey found that 27% of those certain to vote in the 2014 contest would support UKIP, with Labour on 23% and the Tories on 21%.
The rise of Mr Farage’s party has caused headaches for the Conservatives, and the ComRes study for the Open Europe think-tank found that almost two-fifths (39%) of those who voted Tory in 2010 would back UKIP if the European election was held now.
In a general election, the poll suggested Labour would take 37% of the votes, an 11-point lead over the Conservatives on 26%, with UKIP on 20% and the Liberal Democrats on 9%.
There was some good news for David Cameron, with support for his policy of renegotiating the UK’s relationship with Brussels before putting the new settlement to a public vote by the end of 2017.
If a referendum on Britain’s membership of the EU were held now, 37% say that they would vote to remain in the EU compared to 41% that say they would vote to leave.
But if there was a significant return of powers to Westminster followed by a referendum, 47% would vote to stay in the EU, while 32% would vote to leave.