Election 2015: Nick Clegg faces exit but Liberal Democrats to hold key marginals in Lord Ashcroft poll

Nick Clegg Sheffield Halam — Nick Clegg is fighting to keep hold of his Sheffield Hallam seat Getty

Nick Clegg faces losing his Sheffield Hallam seat at the general election as Labour stormed to a two-point lead in the battleground constituency.

Clegg swept to power with 53% of the vote in 2010 but has since slumped to 34%, according to a Lord Ashcroft poll released on 1 April.

The two-point gap has narrowed since a similar poll in November 2014 put Labour three points ahead.

The deputy prime minister is facing rising support in Labour's Oliver Coppard and is clearly focusing on the fight ahead - Sheffield Hallam had the highest contact rate (76%) from the Lib Dems out of eight marginals.

Elsewhere, the poll looked at Conservative-held seat Camborne & Redruth, five Lib Dem seats where the Tories are second (North Cornwall, North Devon, St Austell & Newquay, St Ives, and Torbay) and two seats where the Lib Dems' main threat is Labour (Cambridge and Sheffield Hallam). It appeared to defy an evisceration of Lib Dem MPs.

Ashcroft's data showed the Lib Dem share of votes was level or up in five of the six seats.

Conservative support was up in all six seats on the Lib Dem-Conservative battleground since polling between June and November 2014.

The poll predicted the following vote share:

Camborne & Redruth

Conservatives 37%
Labour 24%
Liberal Democrat 13%
Ukip 14%
Green 8%
Other 3%

North Cornwall

Conservatives 36%
Labour 6%
Liberal Democrat 38%
Ukip 13%
Green 6%
Other 1%

North Devon

Conservatives 38%
Labour 8%
Liberal Democrat 31%
Ukip 16%
Green 6%
Other 2%

St Austell & Newquay

Conservatives 32%
Labour 10%
Liberal Democrat 26%
Ukip 20%
Green 6%
Other 4%

St Ives