Polls show conservatives wiping out “Brown bounce”

LONDON, Oct 7 (KUNA) — Britain’s Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s decision not to call an autumn election came as three separate opinion polls showed Sunday the opposition Conservatives had overturned the premier’s “bounce” and raced into a lead.
One survey of 83 crucial seats put Cameron’s party an astonishing six points ahead – a finding that would have seen Labour’s Commons majority wiped out.
The ICM poll for the News of the World newspaper gave the Conservatives a 44 percent share of the vote to Labour’s 38 percent in seats where the two parties would have gone head-to-head in close battles.
Home Secretary Jacqui Smith was among 49 Labour MPs the poll suggested would have lost their seats if the poll had gone ahead next month.
A YouGov poll for the Sunday Times newspaper showed a massive nine-point jump for the Conservatives in a week to breach the significant 40-point mark at 41 percent – a lead of three.
And another poll for the Mail on Sunday newspaper gave the Conservatives a one-point lead at 39 percent. Both showed a huge squeeze on the Liberal Democrat vote, with the party scoring 11 percent and 12 percent.
The latest findings come less than two weeks after Brown was enjoying a consistent lead – of up to 11 points at one time.