PM’s popularity battered after Short’s exit
Prime Minister Tony Blair’s popularity rating took a battering after the shock resignation of former international development minister Clare Short, according to a new ICM poll.
Although the poll of 1,000 adults appearing in today’s Guardian newspaper (interviewed between May 16-18) shows a slip in the PM’s rating, the Labour party still enjoyed a 12-point lead over the official opposition.
In the post-Iraq war, post ‘Baghdad bounce’ aftermath, the new poll finds the PM in negative popularity territory with voters (-8%), with only 42% of interviewees saying they were satisfied with his performance.
But the poll found voters were ready to rally around the PM should a leadership contest emerge between Mr. Blair and his chancellor.
59% of respondents concurred with former Clare Short’s observation that Mr. Blair was ‘too presidential’ and often rode roughshod over cabinet collective responsibility.
57% said the PM was ‘out of touch’ with ordinary people.
If an election were to take place tomorrow, 43% of respondents said they would vote Labour. 29% would go for the Conservatives, 21% for Liberal Democrat and 9% for other parties.
