1 in 4 voters likley to choose different parties in local & general elections

I've been musing for a while now about the likely effect of holding both general and local elctions on the same day.

So I was pleased to come across The Local Vote, an article by Colin Rallings and Michael Thrasher on the LGA website. They say:

People can spread their votes among the parties. Evidence from 1997, 2001 and 2005 tells us that up to one in four voters show no compunction about choosing different parties on the same visit to the ballot box. Moreover, they are less likely to vote Conservative or Labour at the local as opposed to general election and more likely to vote Liberal Democrat or for minor parties.

Interesting and perhaps a little worrying for Labour in Haringey.