May on course for sweeping win: poll

Britain's Theresa May appeared on course to win a crushing election victory in June after opinion polls put support for her ruling Conservative party at around 50 percent, double that of the opposition Labour party.

May's decision to call a June 8 election stunned her political rivals this week and a string of polls released late on Saturday suggested the gamble had paid off, with one from ComRes showing the party of Margaret Thatcher enjoying levels of support not seen since 1991.

May said she needed the election to secure her own mandate and strengthen her hand for the Brexit negotiations ahead.

In two other polls, May's Conservatives also gained ground in Scotland at the expense of the Scottish National Party, potentially weakening the nationalists' demand for another independence referendum.

According to polls by Opinium, ComRes and YouGov, May's Conservatives held a lead of between 19 and 25 percentage points, with the party's support ranging from 45 percent to 50 percent.

Source: Reuters