KEY POINTS:
The latest poll of voter sentiment has National able to govern alone after the coming election, but party strategists are downplaying the findings.
Today's Fairfax Media-Nielsen poll claims the National Party has 52 per cent support, 18 points ahead of the Labour Party.
National deputy leader Bill English said a win of 50 per cent-plus was considered "unlikely" - and history is on his side.
No party has won an election with more than 41.3 per cent support under MMP.
The gap between Labour and National is expected to close as the election nears.
Trailing behind National in the poll was Labour on 34 per cent, Green Party on 5 per cent, NZ First steady on 3 per cent, Maori Party also on 3 per cent, and ACT on 1 per cent.
John Key rated as preferred prime minister for 41 per cent of those surveyed, well ahead of Helen Clark, on 30 per cent.
The poll questioned 1130 people and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
- NZPA
