POLLS: Labour still can't make up ground on the Tories

Toby Melville/Reuters

• ICM: Conservatives 43 / Labour 27
• BMG:Conservatives 42 / Labour 28
• Labour MP: The party is "failing" to compete for voters as Tory dominance continues

Two new opinion polls released on Tuesday agree that Labour continues to trail the Tories by an absolutely massive margin, despite the government continuing to dither over Britain's exit from the European Union.

The results of ICM's latest opinion poll give Theresa May's Conservatives a 16-point lead over Jeremy Corbyn's Labour (43 > 27%), while a new BMG poll published just hours later gave the Tories a 14-point lead (42 > 28%).

As the chart below illustrates, it is the continuation of an unprecedented trend which began in the middle of the summer. The Tories have enjoyed huge leads over Labour for over three months now.

Business Insider/UK Polling Report data

As we noted earlier this month, the suggestion that the gulf between the parties in the polls would be shortlived was false. Labour's struggles are now a clear trend, showing no signs of going away anytime soon.

Speaking to Business Insider on Tuesday, one Labour MP who didn't wish to be named, said the poll confirms the party is failing to be an attractive alternative to May's government under Corbyn's leadership.

"These latest polls are consistent with other recent findings and confirms our failure to compete effectively for voters' trust," they said. "Jeremy Corbyn's brand of politics is clearly failing to cut through and unless he recognises that by changing direction, prospects will continue to look bleak for Labour."

Ed Miliband's Labour, which went on to lose to 2015 general election, led the Tories in the polls at this point in the last electoral cycle. Two polls published on October 31, 2011 put Labour 2-points ahead of the Conservatives. This highlights the scale of the disaster staring Corbyn's Labour in the face.