Wellington, June 8 NZPA - National may be behind in the polls for the upcoming Mt Albert by-election, but nationwide it still maintaining high levels of popularity.

The latest nationwide Roy Morgan poll recorded unchanged support for National with 52 percent and Labour down half a percentage point to 31 percent.

The Greens were on 8.5 percent (down 1 point), the Maori Party had 3 percent (up 0.5), ACT 2 percent, NZ First 1.5 percent and United Future and the Progressives on 0.5 percent.

The poll of 866 people was conducted between May 18 and May 31 and has a margin of error of 3.2 percent.

A TV One poll last night indicated Labour's candidate David Shearer would easily win the Mt Albert by-election with 59 percent support.

National's Melissa Lee was on 21 percent, the Green Party candidate, co-leader Russel Norman, was third on 15 percent and ACT's John Boscawen barely registered with 3 percent.