IDS’ popularity dives
The Conservative Party’s beleaguered leader Iain Duncan Smith’s popularity had plummeted to a record low of minus 22, though Prime Minister Tony Blair stands at minus 28 points.
The PM’s popularity continues to be hit by the Dr Kelly scandal and public reaction to the war in Iraq.
The Tories lag behind the Government by five per cent, according to the ICM survey for The Guardian found that support for the Conservative Party is up three to 33 per cent, with Labour also up three at 38 per cent.
The poll showed that, despite the Lib Dem’s strong figures last month, buoyed by their Brent East byelection win, the party is now down seven points to 21 per cent.
Mr Duncan Smith did, however, come out strongly over Mr Blair on the question of trust, with 51 per cent of voters viewing him as ‘trustworthy’ compared with just 30 per cent for the Prime Minister.
ICM interviewed a random sample of 1,004 adults aged 18 and over by telephone between 17 and 19 October 2003.
