Feeling good, voting blue?(public opinion of the United Kingdom Tory Party)(Brief Article)

Economist (US), The, August, 1996

TORIES have long believed that, if anything can give them a chance in the coming general election, it is a consumer boom. That, more than the mixed economic data of recent weeks, is why Kenneth Clarke, the chancellor, may cut interest rates again soon despite the Bank of England's warnings not to do so. July's retail-sales data, released on August 21st, disappointed, falling by 0.6% month-on-month. But this dip was mostly due to the strength of June's sales. Consumption remains buoyant.

So far, however, voters have shown little inclination to reward the Tories for the return of the feel-good factor. With the exception of a couple of rogue opinion polls, Labour's lead has remained at a huge 20 percentage points, roughly where it was a year ago. The break of the...

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