No, this is not a fake. Yes, the Lib Dems are top in the last opinion poll
This is really the front page from Friday’s Times featuring the first post-European elections general election voting intention poll. It puts the Liberal Democrats up massively to 24%… and in first place.
It is, of course, only one poll but one that falls into the ‘dramatic enough yet also plausible enough to be worth attention’ category. Plausible in that it both continues the rising Lib Dem poll ratings of the last few weeks and also because a dramatic Lib Dem (or Alliance or Liberal before that) election win in the past has often been followed by a polls surge.
Some of those surges have come and gone very quickly. Others have helped reshape the landscape for British politics for varying lengths of time. It is going to be exciting to find out which one this is.
Labour certainly seems to be doing its best to ensure it is the latter:
Is @LibDems HQ paying for this recruitment drive or are we getting it for free? https://t.co/susQ5QoFb7
— Ian Kearns 🔶 (@IankKearns) May 30, 2019
Meanwhile, the celebrations for the Liberal Democrats can last just that bit longer after the Euros:
Damn, that Jeremy Corbyn is clever with his 4D chess to fox the Conservatives by lulling them into a false sense of security by manoeuvring the Lib Dems into first.
— Mark Pack 🔶 (@markpack) May 30, 2019
To be fair to Theresa May, an outgoing Prime Minister having their party neck and neck with the official opposition is usually seen as a pretty good legacy to pass on. Usually…
— Mark Pack 🔶 (@markpack) May 30, 2019
First time ever since polling started in 1943 that a voting intention poll for Britain has had neither Labour nor the Conservatives in the top two. https://t.co/zqSSsXitSV
— Mark Pack 🔶 (@markpack) May 30, 2019
What's that sound I can hear? Must be Lib Dem HQ desparately ordering in more new member pack supplies.
And @MatthewGreen02 muttering, "My fingers aren't going to be able to cope".
— Mark Pack 🔶 (@markpack) May 30, 2019
Change UK: ‘We’re going to shake up British politics’
Lib Dems: hold my beer— Harry Craig 🇪🇺 (@hazcraig1) May 30, 2019
OK, slightly more serious points: last time Lib Dems surged to first place in the polls, the party didn't make the most of it. There are lots of aspects to that, including not turning it into members and money. It's great that we've now got an operation much better at doing that.
— Mark Pack 🔶 (@markpack) May 30, 2019
A second less from last time is that people started thinking we could win in all sorts of places, as a result of which effort was spread far too thin and we missed out on places we would have otherwise won. An important point to remember if current situation persists.
— Mark Pack 🔶 (@markpack) May 30, 2019
I've always argued that the Lib Dem toxicity narrative was exaggerated. Their bigger problem has been invisibility and lack of reason for more than 7-8% of people to vote for them. Change those things – as they appear to have – and polls can move pretty rapidly.
— Matt Singh (@MattSingh_) May 30, 2019
Finally, and perhaps most importantly: all this has only happened because of the hard work of so many volunteers and staff. You’ve been crucial to making this happen. Thank you.
