The Progress Party has secured 37.6 per cent in a new poll by Opinion. Never before has the institute recorded such a high figure for the Progress Party. The Conservative Party has plummeted to its worst result ever.
The Progress Party has gained 5.0 percentage points since last month in the party barometer poll conducted by Opinion for Altinget and ABC Nyheter.
The Labour Party is the second-largest party with 20.6 per cent, down 1.8 points. The Conservative Party has fallen by 1.2 points to 12.5 per cent. This is the lowest figure Opinion has ever recorded for the party.
As a result, the Progress Party is 4.5 percentage points ahead of the Labour Party and the Conservative Party combined.
“The party is simply skyrocketing,” Opinion adviser Martin Stubban tells ABC Nyheter.
In last autumn’s parliamentary election, the Frp secured 23.8 per cent. Since then, the party has gained almost 14 percentage points.
Rødt is on 6.7 per cent, the Centre Party 5.7 per cent, MDG 4.3 per cent and SV 4.2 per cent. KrF and Venstre are both on 3.3 per cent, below the electoral threshold. The centre-right bloc would secure 93 seats, and according to ABC Nyheter, the Progress Party and the Conservative Party would have a majority on their own.
Opinion interviewed 1,000 people by telephone between 19 and 23 October. 774 stated their party preference. The margin of error is between 1.0 and 3.4 percentage points.
The poll comes at the end of an October in which the Frp has exceeded 30 per cent in several polls. InFact put the party at 35.1 per cent for Nettavisen on 2 October. On Monday, the Progress Party (Frp) recorded 35.3 per cent in a Sentio poll, a record in a series of surveys that began in 1997. Respons Analyse put the figure at 33.9 per cent for *Aftenposten*, whilst Norfakta recorded 33.2 per cent for *Klassekampen*.
Stubban points to the high cost of living. Inflation and fuel prices have dominated the debate throughout the autumn. Economists talk of real wage growth, whilst many voters feel their wallets are getting thinner.
According to Stubban, the Progress Party (Frp) is perceived as the party that takes ordinary people’s concerns seriously.
Fuel is a key issue. After pump prices soared in March, the Frp, Høyre, Sp and KrF pushed through temporary tax cuts. In September, the taxes were reintroduced. The Frp wanted to extend the cut. The Høyre dug their heels in. As a result, the price of diesel is consistently over 30 kroner a litre.
