Poll puts Lib-Dems back in third as Labour leads across region

The Lib-Dems have been pushed back into third place while Labour lead the polls across the North-West — according to the last regional poll ahead of tomorrow’s election.

Labour leads across the region on 34 points down one compared to last week, the Tories have regained second place on 30 up one, and the Lib-Dems have slipped to 28 down two. Other parties, which includes the BNP, the independent, Ukip and the Green Party are on seven points, up one.

The YouGov/Politics Home poll of 1,313 across the region appears to show an end to Cleggmania. The two previous polls put party support across the North-West up 15 points in the 14 days after the first televised leaders‚ debate where Nick Clegg swept to popularity.

Nationwide, the Tories are on 34 points and Labour and the Lib-Dems joint on 28.

The poll comes as three senior Cabinet ministers signalled Labour voters should consider voting tactically to stop the Conservatives gaining power.

Shadow business secretary Ken Clarke said a hung parliament would be “the equivalent of fiddling while Rome burns”.

Mr Clarke said the country needed a clear and decisive result from the election to produce a strong government to help it out of economic crisis.

The outcome of the election is still too close to call with polls ranging from a Tory majority of four to being 28 seats short of a majority.

With just today left for campaigning, Conservative leader David Cameron yesterday began a 36-hour through the night tour hoping to secure votes from night workers. Gordon Brown had a “brutal” itinerary, across marginal seats, including visiting workers on their nightshift in Yorkshire last night. Today he was expected to campaign across Yorkshire, Lancashire, Cumbria and Scotland.

Catch up with the candidates at www.oldham-chronicle.co.uk/news-features/elections/