Liberal Democrats up in the polls as the General Election campaign begins

4.00.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Wed 6th Apr 2005

Liberal Democrats up in the polls as the General Election campaign begins

The Liberal Democrats are starting the election 8% ahead compared to 2001 and 10% ahead of 1997. The average of the polls published yesterday, on the day the General election was called, for the Liberal Democrats was 21%.

On the equivalent day of the 2001 election the Liberal Democrats were on 13%. On the equivalent day of the 1997 election the Liberal Democrats were on 11%. On both occasions the Liberal Democrats final result was 6% more than at this stage - 19% and 17% respectively, suggesting that the Liberal Democrats could be heading for a final result this time of 27%.

A survey in today's Metro, the free newspaper available at London Underground stations and in a number of other cities, puts the Liberal Democrats ahead. Metro's Urban Life panel consists of about 4,000 urban readers, aged 18-44, from across Britain. Voting intentions among the group are Liberal Democrats 25%, Labour 24%, Conservatives 18%, Greens 5%. At the last election they voted Labour 48%, Lib Dems 24%, Conservatives 19%, Greens 3%.