Leading pollsters predict Lib Dem win in Manchester Withington

5.59.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Tue 6th Oct 2009

The Liberal Democrats will win Manchester Withington constituency at the next general election according to a recent influential poll.

In the largest ever survey of the country's marginal parliamentary seats, the independent political research organisation, PoliticsHome, has forecast a further swing away from Labour nationwide with Lib Dem MP, John Leech, set to win Manchester Withington for the Lib Dems. These findings, which are based on direct interviews with voters, come just days after Prime Minister Gordon Brown predicted a Labour win in seat.

John Leech said:

"I'm obviously grateful that this poll suggests that local people are pleased with the work that my colleagues and I have been doing on the issues that are important to them but I'm not getting carried away. Labour has let our area down for too long - failing local people by closing post offices, threatening local special schools and going back on their word on social housing rent hikes, to name but a few. So there's much still to be done and I'll continue working hard for my constituents, trying to do my best for them and helping to secure a better deal for our area."

"If votes follow on from this then that would be fantastic, but I wouldn't be so presumptuous as to declare that I will be the constituency's MP this time next year. People's votes and trust are to be earned and I am well aware of that."

<ENDS>

Notes to editors.

1. The PoliticsHome poll was based on 36,100 interviews across 238 marginal seats

2. For more information on the poll visit http://page.politicshome.com/uk/politicshome_electoral_index2009.html