Labour has been given a significant boost in two general election polls out today, prompting Jeremy Corbyn supporters to “keep up the fight”.
An Ipsos MORI survey for the Evening Standard gave Labour an eight point jump in popularity, while a YouGov poll for The Times gave Jeremy Corbyn’s party a two-point boost.
However both polls showed the Tories to have a commanding lead in the June 8 vote.
The YouGov survey pushed the overall support for Labour to 32%, while the Conservatives’ lead was reduced by a point to 45%.
Meanwhile support for the Lib Dems fell three points to 8% and Ukip rose one point to 6%.
The poll for the Times was carried out on Tuesday, when Labour’s manifesto was officially published, and Wednesday.
The manifesto included promises on public spending, taxing the well off, introducing four new bank holidays and renationalisation of public services.
Anthony Wells from YouGov told The Times: “Labour seem to be holding up because they’re still getting the votes of a substantial chunk of people who don’t like Corbyn and are presumably holding their noses and voting Labour anyway.”
The Ipsos Mori poll still showed Theresa May’s party to be on course for victory, but gave Labour an extra eight points, bringing their support from 26% to 34%. The Conservatives remained unchanged at 49%
This was the first telephone poll of the campaign.
The figures were cause for celebration for Labour supporters on social media:
It comes after one of Corbyn’s key allies was lambasted by Labour politicians and union leaders for suggesting it would be “successful” if the party managed to hold on to just 200 seats - 32 fewer than it won in 2015.
Len McCluskey, the general secretary of Unite, said it would be “extraordinary” if Labour won on June 8, given Corbyn’s public image and the criticism of the party in the media.
If Labour secured 200 seats it would be their worst result since 1935.
A HuffPost UK/Edelman focus group has also revealed concerns over Corbyn’s leadership.