London: The ruling Labour party in the UK
was today pushed into third place for the first time in a
generation in a new poll, even as embattled Prime Minister
Gordon Brown made a last-ditch bid to win over Britain`s
"squeezed middle classes" in a bid to avoid a wipe-out in
elections next year.
Brown, in his speech at the party conference in
Brighton, pinned his hopes of political survival on an appeal
to the "squeezed middle classes", insisting that he would
stand up for their values.
He accused the Conservative Party of being heartless
as he urged Labour to "never, never stop believing" and
unveiled a raft of new policies aimed at staving off political
oblivion.
His hugely ambitious programmes of reform set out
plans for free health care, free personal care for the elderly
and a series of plans to address anti-social behaviour.
His fighting speech came after an Ipsos Mori poll put
Labour at 24 per cent, the opposition Liberal Democrats at 25
per cent and the bigger opposition Conservative Party at 36
per cent. The general election is due in Britain by June next
year.
The latest survey also suggested the Tories have lost
some support to the Lib Dems.
The survey pointed out that the Lib Dems traditionally
enjoyed a "bump" in the polls after their annual conference,
and Labour will be hoping for their own bounce at the end of
this week. The headline figures are based on those who say
they are "certain" to vote at the next general election.
Bureau Report
