Voters back Blunkett
Home Secretary David Blunkett should not be forced out of office because of his affair with publisher Kimberly Quinn, a new opinion poll has found.
The Populus poll for The Times found 60 per cent of respondents said his affair had not changed their opinion of the well-respected minister.
But 41 per cent of voters said Mr Blunkett’s alleged misuse of ministerial position to fast-track a visa of his lover’s Filipino nanny was sufficient grounds to prompt his resignation,
Over half 54 per cent took the opposite view.
The poll found less than a third (28 per cent) believed Mr Blunkett’s decision to allow Mrs Quinn the use an official rail pass and ministerial car warranted his resignation; 67 per cent said it was not.
Less than two out of ten respondents (18 per cent) said having an affair with a married woman should compel him to resign; 77 per cent disagreed.
Over one in ten (13 per cent) said Mr Blunkett should go for seeking access to Mrs Quinn’s son; 82 per cent said he should not.
In the party standings, Labour stood at 37 per cent – unchanged on last month – but the Conservatives were up two points on 33 per cent, with the Liberal Democrats suffering the difference on 20 per cent.
Populous interviewed 1,511 voters aged over 18 by telephone between December 3rd and 5th.
