Conservatives and Labour are now LEVEL in new opinion poll

The Conservative Party and Labour are now level in a shock new opinion poll which is likely to set alarm bells off in Boris Johnson’s rattled camp. 

The snapshot survey by pollster Opinium puts both political parties on 40 per cent each when it comes to voting intentions.

It marks the first time the Conservatives have not been ahead of Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour Party in an Opinium survey for 13 months.

The new poll follows criticism of the Government’s handling of the coronavirus crisis, including its failed Test and Trace system and the exams fiasco.

It comes as MPs prepare to return to Westminster on Tuesday, with furious Conservatives accusing the Government of being rudderless.

Charles Walker, vice-chair of the 1922 Committee of Tory backbenchers, said a string of U-turns had led to despair among the party rank-and-file.

‘Too often it looks like this government licks its finger and sticks it in the air to see which way the wind is blowing. This is not a sustainable way to approach the business of governing and government,’ he told The Observer.

‘It is becoming increasingly difficult for backbenchers now to promote and defend government policy as so often that policy is changed or abandoned without notice. Whether this approach is by design or by accident, the climate of uncertainty it creates is unsustainable and erodes morale.’  

Nearly half of voters, 4 per cent, disapprove of the Government’s handling of coronavirus, compared to less than a third, 31 per cent, who approve.

With English schools reopening next week, 63 per cent of parents with school age children say it is safe for primary schools to do so. And 60 per cent back pupils returning to secondary schools, according to the poll.

But pupils aged between 14 and 15 appear most concerned about returning to class as 45 per cent of parents with children in this age group say their child is worried, against to 48 per cent who say they are not. 

More than half of adults surveyed, 52 per cent, support making face masks compulsory for children in school, with 22 per cent neither supporting nor opposing, and 19 per cent against such a move.

When it comes to the parents of school age children, 42 per cent back the idea, and 22 per cent oppose it.

The survey has bad news for under-fire Education Secretary Gavin Williamson as 48 per cent disapprove of the way he is handling his job, and 40 per cent say he is most responsible for the recent exam results fiasco. 

Adam Drummond of Opinium said: ‘This is the first time Labour have drawn level since July 2019 when both main parties were in freefall and losing votes to the Brexit party and the Liberal Democrats.

‘Since Boris Johnson became prime minister the Tories typically had a double digit lead, peaking in March/April this year when they were seen to be handling the pandemic and lockdown fairly well while Labour changed leader. 

‘In the five months since that peak, the lead has gradually declined from 26 per cent to 0 per cent now.’

Opinium carried out an online survey of 2,002 UK adults between August 26-28.