[Tezcatlipoca]

Guardian/ICM poll: voters back coalition, but Lib Dem support dips

Originally Posted by Julian Glover for The Guardian

Voters approve of the Conservative-Liberal Democrat government so far, according to the first Guardian/ICM poll to be published since the general election.

There is also widespread support for changes to the electoral system, with people apparently sanguine about the prospect of further hung parliaments.

But today's poll suggests the Lib Dems have suffered some damage after deciding to join the Tories in government, with almost a fifth of those who backed the party this month saying they might be less likely to do so in the future. Support for the party has also dropped three percentage points since the general election, to 21% – although that remains higher than in many pre-election ICM polls.

There is no sign of a widespread movement of Lib Dem voters to Labour, with most people who voted Lib Dem this month saying the decision to join the coalition would make no difference to their decision to support the party. A quarter say it will actually make them more likely to vote Lib Dem.

(snip)

Overall, 59% of voters say they approve of the decision to form a coalition and 32% oppose it. Tory voters are most enthusiastic, with 81% in favour and only 16% against. People who voted Lib Dem are slightly less keen about the deal that put the Conservative leader David Cameron in power, with 69% in favour and 26% against.

Labour voters are understandably less convinced, with 51% against and 40% in favour.

(snip)