Legal Cheek snap election survey reveals Labour are out of favour
Law students and young lawyers will vote for the Liberal Democrats in the upcoming general election, according to a recent Legal Cheek survey.
Earlier today, throwing the already volatile world of UK politics into overdrive, Prime Minister Theresa May announced plans to call a snap general election on 8 June. Stressing the need for stability and certainty in the run up to vital Brexit negotiations, May said: “The country is coming together, but Westminster is not.”
But which political party is up to the job?
Well, according to our poll of over 1,000 law students and rookie lawyers, it’s the Lib Dems. The plucky political underdog — which has taken a strong anti-Brexit stance and is currently under Tim Farron’s leadership — secured 30.8% of the overall vote. May’s Conservatives bagged second place with 29.82%, while Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour secured third with 24.37%.
Interestingly, our stats appear to show a divide in political loyalties between those chasing that elusive training contract or pupillage and those who have already qualified.
Looking at the almost 600 law students who voted in isolation (undergrads, LLM, Graduate Diploma in Law, Legal Practice Course, Bar Professional Training Course), the Lib Dems came out on top, with 29.78% pledging allegiance to Farron (pictured top). Trailing behind the Conservatives (28.06%), Labour — which welcomed May’s snap election announcement — landed third position with 26.68%.
However, when we looked at just lawyers — that’s paralegals, trainees, solicitors, pupils and barristers — the Conservatives were the most popular with 37.71% of the vote. The Lib Dems took the second spot with 33.90%, while Corbyn’s Labour again could only muster third place with 16.95%.
And the Lib Dems’ rise in popularity doesn’t seem to just be contained to the legal sector. A report earlier today revealed that the party gained around 1,000 new members in just one hour after May’s announcement. President of the Liberal Democrats Sal Brinton said:
This is a time when liberals must stand together, and people across the country are doing just that.
There will be a vote in the House of Commons tomorrow on May’s snap election. She needs two thirds of MPs to vote in her favour to ensure her 8 June date gets the green light.
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