Jeremy Corbyn appears to have made slight inroads into Boris Johnson’s poll lead as the bitterly-fought race for Number 10 enters the home straight.
A slew of polls released today found the Labour leader narrowing in on his Conservative rival – but with varying degrees of success.
While one survey found the left-winger had whittled the gap down to just six points after surging by four, another found his cranked-up campaigning was only rewarded with a one-point increase.
And a third poll yesterday even found Mr Corbyn failing to close the gap while Mr Johnson consolidated his lead up by one point.
But all three polls conclude Labour’s would-be PM still faces an uphill struggle, with time running out to overtake Mr Johnson and turf him out of Downing Street on December 12.
Today’s most dramatic account of Westminster voting intentions was released by Savanta Comres which showed Mr Corbyn leap by four points to 36 per cent. This put Labour within just six points of the Tories, who remained on 42 per cent.
It came after the Conservative campaign was derailed over accusations Mr Johnson is ducking tough interviews, whereas Mr Corbyn’s spending splurge commitments and NHS fear-mongering appear to be cutting through.
Voters are continuing to desert Jo Swinson, who has fought a miserable election campaign reflected in the Liberal Democrats’ one-point sink to 11 per cent.
Nigel Farage’s Brexit Party crept up by one point to 4 per cent and the Greens continue to flag on 2 per cent.
One survey by Savanta Comres found the left-winger had whittled the gap down to just six points after surging by four
A slew of polls released today found the Labour leader (pictured at a pub on Barry Island, Wales, today) narrowing in on his Conservative rival
Prime Minister Boris Johnson stands in goal prior to a juniors girls’ football match between Hazel Grove United JFC and Poynton, as he campaigns in Cheadle Hulme
This poll from December 2-5, commissioned by Remain United, suggests undecided voters are beginning to make up their minds and have been lured by Mr Corbyn.
The findings will spur on the underdog Labour leader, who has ratcheted up campaigning in a last-gasp bid to oust Mr Johnson and pull off a massive election upset.
And the PM will also double his efforts with a campaign blitz to stave off the momentum gathered by his left-wing rival.
Although the survey will make uneasy reading in Conservative HQ, the poll sample were quizzed during a rocky time for Mr Johnson, who has been dogged by allegations he is hiding from a grilling with the BBC’s Andrew Neil.
It did not include Friday night’s leader head-to-head, where the PM landed some heavy blows on his Labour opponent, who he accused of supporting the IRA, having a muddled Brexit policy and being prepared to take a sledgehammer to the British economy.
A snap poll after the televised showdown gave Mr Johnson a 52 to 48 per cent edge.
The latest December 12 intentions also came after bombshell revelations that the top-secret government dossier brandished by Mr Corbyn as ‘proof’ the Tories plan to sell the NHS were leaked by the Russians to interfere in the election.
But while the flurry of damage sustained by the Labour leader over the past 24 hours will not be showcased here, Mr Corbyn surge up the polls will rally his grassroots to hit the doorsteps in the final stretch before polling day on Thursday.
A third Panelbase poll taken before the debate last night shows the Tories up to 43 per cent, with Labour holding steady on 34 per cent
A second poll by Savanta Comres, commissioned by the Sunday Telegraph that unlike the Remain United one quizzed respondents on their local candidates, found that Labour only rose by one point to 33 per cent.
The same survey found the Tories to slip by one point to 41 per cent. It put the Lib Dems on 12 per cent, the Brexit Party on 3 per cent and the Greens on 2 per cent.
And a third Panelbase poll taken before the debate last night shows the Tories up to 43 per cent, with Labour holding steady on 34 per cent.
The General Election looks set to be a two-horse race as the Lib Dems stay put on 13 per cent, the Brexit Party slump to 3 per cent and the Greens trailing on 2 per cent.
But Tory officials who remain nervous ahead of the election have been referring to two potential roadblocks for as ‘T’n’T’.
The phrase refers to turnout and tactical voting, according to BuzzFeed, which are seen as the final two stumbling blocks between the party and electoral success next week.
The poll came just hours before a crunch debate between the two heavyweights of British politics.
Mr Johnson was declared the winner of the final election TV showdown last night after roasting Jeremy Corbyn over Brexit, supporting the IRA, stealth taxes and ‘overthrowing capitalism’.
A snap YouGov poll found the PM performed better in the primetime BBC One clash by 52 per cent to 48 per cent – ironically mirroring the 2016 referendum and a result that will delight Tory strategists.
During a bruising hour-long session, chaired by Nick Robinson, Mr Johnson appealed for the public to back him on Brexit on December 12 so the country can move on.
He ridiculed Labour’s muddled position of renegotiating with Brussels and holding another referendum, but with Mr Corbyn staying neutral. ‘You cannot negotiate a deal if you are neutral on it… it’s a failure of leadership on the biggest issue facing this country at the moment,’ he said.
The General Election looks set to be a two-horse race as the Lib Dems stay put on 13 per cent, the Brexit Party slump to 3 per cent and the Greens trailing on 2 per cent. Pictured: Mr Corbyn getting on his battle bus today
The poll came just hours before a crunch debate between the two heavyweights of British politics. Pictured: The PM playin football in Cheadle Hulme today
The PM and the Labour leader faced off in the final head-to-head of the campaign, in front of a primetime Friday night audience on BBC One and chaired by Nick Robinson (right)
The veteran left-winger was also pressed over Labour’s plans to introduce a four-day week in the NHS, and failed to deny that he wants to ‘overthrow capitalism’.
But he insisted he was putting forward an ‘ambitious’ programme that could end child poverty, as he desperately to turn the tide as polls continue to show the Tories ahead.
The clash quickly turned nasty, with Mr Johnson getting a round of applause as he condemned Mr Corbyn for trying to ‘lecture’ people on the importance of ties with Northern Ireland after ‘supporting the IRA for four decades’.
He also repeatedly swiped that his opponent was ‘ignorant’ on the benefits of free trade.
According to the YouGov poll, Mr Corbyn came across as more trustworthy by 48 per cent to 38 per cent, and also won on the NHS. But Mr Johnson trounced him by 62 per cent to 29 per cent on Brexit, 55 per cent to 36 per cent on likeability, and was seen as more prime ministerial by 54 per cent to 30 per cent. He was also seen as performing best on security 55 per cent to 34 per cent.
Labour will be dismayed that Mr Corbyn failed to land any significant punches, with the Tories seemingly in the driving seat just six days before the country goes to the ballot boxes.