Blair bolstered by poll rating
Tony Blair enjoys his second highest leadership rating despite the public’s view that the Iraq war has increased the threat of terror attacks, a new opinion poll states.
Almost a third of respondents (30 per cent) and nearly half of Labour supporters (48 per cent) responding to the Populus survey for the Times said the premier should reconsider his stance on not pursuing a fourth term of office.
Month on month, fewer voters said he ought to stand down now or by the end of next year, the poll found.
Despite the findings that most Britons thought the 2003 Iraq war increased the risk of a terror attack in London, the premier’s leadership rating was up at 5.55 from 5.07 in January.
Tory leader Michael Howard was off the pace on 4.44 while Liberal Democrat counterpart Charles Kennedy’s rating was up to 5.22 from 4.95.
Mr Blair received his highest rating after the Iraq war was declared effectively over in May 2003 after the fall of the capital Baghdad.
But three-quarters of respondents predicted more terror scares in London for the foreseeable future.
Populus interviewed 1506 adults by phone between July 22nd and 24th.
The poll echoes the one in the Daily Mirror on Monday, which found 85 per cent of voters believed the Iraq war was to blame for the recent London bombings.
Twenty-three per cent of respondents said the invasion of Iraq was the main reason for the attacks, the poll noted.
