Ukip support surges as Tories continue to struggle in polls - The Guardian

A series of polls this weekend will place further strain on David Cameron's leadership as they show support around the country for the Tory party remains below 30%, while Ukip is surging.

In a ComRes poll conducted for the Independent on Sunday and Sunday Mirror, Ukip cemented its third place position ahead of the Liberal Democrats and hit a record high of 17%.

Support for Conservatives, who were pushed into third place by Ukip at last month's Eastleigh byelection, fell three points to 28%, while Labour continued its lead on 37%.

A poll last Sunday for the Observer carried out by Opinium delivered similar results, placing the UK's largest parliamentary party at 27%.

A second survey conducted by ICM for the Sunday Telegraph found that a key group of right-of-centre voters were likely to prefer Ukip polices to Tory ones on same-sex marriage, immigration and government spending.

Poor poll showings have fuelled calls from activists and MPs in the Tory party for a rightwards shift.

Numbering 10% of all voters, the group, known as Conservative-Ukip "switchers" – currently undecided about which of the two right-of-centre parties to vote for – preferred Ukip's Nigel Farage to Cameron as a leader by 37% to 32%, the poll found.

On policy they also backed Ukip by a significant margin. Ukip's policy of freezing all permanent settlement in the UK was more popular than a Tory "cap" on migrants among the group by 62% to 34%. The Ukip policy was more warmly received by all voters by a margin of 53% to 36%.

"Switchers" also preferred Ukip's opposition to same-sex marriage, with 51% supporting the party's line. Only 39% preferred the Conservative stance of permitting gay marriage – a result at variance with the general voting population who back same-sex marriages by 54% to 34%.

On austerity measures, Ukip-Tory floating voters also preferred by 64% to 28% Ukip's policy of across-the-board cuts instead of Cameron's policy of ringfencing certain areas of spending such as pensions, international aid and the NHS budget.

However, on one other key issue – Europe – the ICM poll found that Tories had a lead among right-of-centre floating voters: 50% preferred the idea of repatriating powers from Brussels and holding a referendum on EU membership. Only 43% backed Ukip's policy of an immediate pullout.

On issues of leadership the bloc of right-of-centre voters said they preferred the London mayor, Boris Johnson, to Cameron – a result at odds with the wider group of Tory voters who much prefer Cameron.

Theresa May, who recently delivered a speech thought to have signalled an ambition to lead the party, came third in the poll among both groups.