Liberal Democrats on six-year high in poll

THE CONSERVATIVES have fallen to their lowest poll rating for more than 11 years. With the Christchurch voters delivering their by-election verdict today, a national poll by Market & Opinion Research International for today's Times puts Labour on 44 per cent (2 percentage points down on last month), the Tories at 27 (1 point down) and the Liberal Democrats on 25 - 2 points up, and their highest Mori rating for six years.

Last week's Commons votes and the weekend leak of John Major's views about 'bastard' Cabinet colleagues were covered by the polling timescale.