Theresa May’s Tories have crushing 17-point lead over hapless Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour with joint-highest poll figure since 1992
ICM survey puts PM's party on 43% and its biggest lead since David Cameron capitalised on a dismal rating for Gordon Brown in 2008
The Tories last night opened up their biggest poll lead over Labour in eight years, with Theresa May 17 points clear of hapless Jeremy Corbyn.
The record-levelling ICM poll came as former Labour leader Ed Miliband heaped praise on the PM’s big conference speech that pinched many of his policy ideas.
The bombshell survey gave the Tories a post-party conference two point bump up to 43 per cent, with Jeremy Corbyn’s party slumping two points to 26 per cent.
If those numbers were repeated at a General Election on the proposed new parliamentary boundaries, Mrs May would crush Labour with a majority of more than 150 seats.
Labour would be reduced to a rump of around 160 seats, with the Tories gaining almost 50 MPs for their current 319.
The Conservative whopping lead over Labour is the joint second highest recorded in the series dating back to 1992, and is beaten only by Gordon Brown’s dire ratings in June 2008.
The Conservatives had a 20-point lead in June 2008, and enjoyed 17-point margins in September and October 2009.
Meanwhile Ukip fell two points to 11 per cent, and the Liberal Democrats were down one point on 8 per cent.
Worryingly for Labour, Theresa May is ahead of Jeremy Corbyn in every social class of voter.
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The new PM has also opened up a commanding lead amongst female voters — traditionally a weak spot for the ex-PM David Cameron.
Mr Miliband said yesterday that he wanted to give the PM “a bit of credit” because “she did recognise in her conference speech that this Brexit vote wasn’t just about Europe”
He added: “it was about a deeper satisfaction with the direction of country.”
Mrs May’s drive to reform capitalism and intervene in the energy markets echoed many of Ed Miliband’s big ideas rejected by voters in 2015.
He told the BBC his reaction to the speech was “gosh, sounds familiar.”
But the former Labour boss added: “Now the question for her is can she deliver? Let’s judge her on her actions.”
He also claimed that his former Shadow Chancellor and now Strictly Come Dancing star Ed Balls was a “national treasure”.
Top pollsters ICM surveyed 2,017 adults online between October 7 and 9.
Mr Corbyn is currently conducting his so-called ‘revenge reshuffle’ as he tightens his grip at the top of the party and tries to fill the dozens of gaps in his front bench team left after the wave of resignations in the summer.
News also broke today that a group fronted by Paul Weller will take part in a concert in support of the Labour leader, according to the campaign group Momentum.
The gig in Brighton featuring the former Jam and Style Council frontman will be the first of a national series of "concerts for Corbyn".
Other artists on the line-up for the December 16 concert include indie veterans The Farm, psychedelic group Temples and singer-songwriter Kathryn Williams.
JEERS FOR CORBYN
JEREMY Corbyn was jeered last night at his first meeting with Labour MPs since the party re-elected him.
He was slammed for sacking popular chief whip Rosie Winterton, failing to condemn Russia over Syrian bombings and attending a rally linked to the Socialist Workers Party.
