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UK may have more Liberal Democrats than expected

British Prime Minister Tony Blair's Labour Party might be the hot favorite to win the British general election, but according to an innovative Internet-based test of the policies voters really support, millions may be backing the wrong politician.

Unlike other conventional opinion polls which usually ask only about party loyalties, the Web site www.whoshouldyouvotefor.com -- which has already attracted 350,000 visitors -- takes an entirely different approach.

After being asked which party they currently back in Britain's May 5 poll, participants then field 23 questions about their view on subjects ranging from Iraq to tax, immigration and other issues.

Finally, they click their mouse on a button that asks: "Who should I vote for?" and the computer matches voters' responses to the parties which best articulate these views.

The results can prove surprising.

According to data from Web site operator Thoughtplay, while 25 percent of people who took the test said beforehand they were Labour supporters, only 11 percent emerged as backing Blair's policies.

Similarly, 26 percent entered the main opposition Conservatives as their preferred choice, but only 16 percent of the test results came out as in favor of the party's stated views.

In contrast, the big winners were the Liberal Democrats, a smaller opposition group, with 36 percent of answers indicating support for the party, well above the original voting intentions.

According to Paul Lenz, managing director of Thoughtplay, the left-leaning Liberal Democrats' support on the Web site -- well above the 18-20 percent they generally score in conventional opinion polls -- could have another explanation.

Many of the respondents are students or young workers, who tend to support Liberal Democrats policies such as opposition to the Iraq war and ending university tuition fees.

The test was designed to encourage people to think about who to vote for rather than influencing them, said Lenz.

"I would not say it is going to make anyone's mind up or change anyone's opinion," he told reporters.

"But I would hope that it provides a spur for people to go away and read the [party] manifestos and study in more detail the substance," Lenz said.

Claire Lewis, a civil servant who voted Labour in the last election in 2001 but has since shifted toward the Liberal Democrats, partly due to Blair's decision to go to invade Iraq, said the survey helped firm up her ideas.

"I thought it would be interesting to see the results," she said.

"It is quite hard for the people who do not study all the manifestos to understand what different parties mean, so it was nice to do something quick and simple and confirm what I thought I should do."

Thoughtplay compiled the questions over a two-week period by studying the main political parties' policies and identifying areas of difference.
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