–YouGov Poll Gives Conservative Cameron 41%; Comres Gives Him 35%

LONDON (MNI), April 29 – Two polls conducted after the final UK
political leaders debate put Conservative leader David Cameron ahead,
although by varying margins.

A YouGov poll for the Sun said Cameron won the debate with 41% of
the vote, with Liberal Democrat Nick Clegg second on 32% and Labour
leader Gordon Brown third on 25%. A ComRes poll for ITV had Cameron on
35%, Clegg on 33% and Brown on 26%.

The YouGov poll cited by the Sun had no detail on the number of
people polled and both polls were out very shortly after the debate
ended.

The polls suggest Brown, with Labour trailing third in the national
polls, has failed to stage the recovery he had hoped for, they will
boost the Conservative campaign in the final days ahead of the May 6
election and will leave the Liberal Democrats in a relatively strong
position.

They also open up the chance that the Conservatives could win a
straight majority in the General Election, although the polls Friday and
over the weekend will give a clearer steer on this.

The debate centred on the economy, and the three parties set out
their themes.

Labour’s Brown was the most cautious on bank reform, arguing
against the UK imposing a unilateral bank levy and saying he wanted a
global agreement. Cameron favoured pressing ahead with the levy
irrespective of what happens in the US or elsewhere and called for the
Bank of England to take over financial regulation.

“I want a global financial levy that America … that France and
Germany are at least part of because I don’t want a race to the bottom
and banks moving out of this country,” Brown said.

Cameron, however, said “Don’t wait for the rest of the
world, put that levy on now to start getting back the money from the
banks that so many people have had to put in.”

Both the Conservative and Liberal Democrat leaders gave their
support to the principle of preventing retail banks engaging in, at
least, some parts of investment banking and proprietary trading.

Cameron said a Conservative government would endorse US President
Barack Obama’s plan to prevent retail banks engaging in “casino” style
banking.

“We agree with President Obama’s plan, which is actually to say
those banks shouldn’t be able to take part in the most risky activity,”
Cameron said.

On the macro economic themes, Brown said the Greek debacle and
turmoil in the eurozone highlighted the fragility of the recovery, and
he warned of the risk of a “double dip” recession in the UK if there was
premature fiscal tightening.

The Conservatives have pledged to hold an emergency budget within
50 days of taking office. Brown said he feared that the Conservative
budget would derail the recovery, but Cameron stuck to the line it would
focus on “efficiency savings”.

–London newsroom: 4420 7862 7491 email:ukeditorial@marketnews.com

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