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Brits give Brown thumbs-up
12/08/2007 09:31 - (SA)
London - Britain's ruling Labour Party under new Prime Minister Gordon Brown is enjoying its biggest ratings lead since the divisive 2003 Iraq war, an opinion poll published Sunday said.
Labour is ten points ahead of the main opposition Conservatives, taking it to heights of popularity not recorded by YouGov since November 2002, according to their poll for the Sunday Times newspaper.
Many commentators say Iraq soured the final years of Tony Blair's premiership and, since taking over on June 27, Brown has seemed much cooler on the issue, appointing some anti-war ministers including former UN deputy secretary general Mark Malloch Brown.
The poll puts Labour at 42%, up two points from one month ago, and the Conservatives at 32%, down one point.
Following his first summit as prime minister with US President George W Bush last month, 73% think Brown is less close to Bush than Blair, dubbed the president's "poodle" by some British papers.
And 74% of people say British troops should be brought home from Iraq immediately or over the next year, according to the poll.
On the domestic front, Brown's "bounce" since coming into office is also continuing, the poll suggests.
He has been praised in the media for his handling of serious flooding and an outbreak of foot and mouth disease in southern England in the last month.
By contrast, Conservative leader David Cameron is facing growing discontent in his own ranks amid claims that his party has failed to come up with policies which will threaten the new premier.
Their differing fortunes are reflected in the poll - 65% say Brown is doing a good job, compared with 29% for Cameron.
Brown's current popularity has led to speculation that he could call a general election as early as October.
YouGov interviewed 1 966 electors online on August 9-10.
A second poll, conducted by ICM for the Sunday Mirror, gave Labour 39% support and the Conservatives 33%.
A total of 82% said Brown had handled the foot and mouth scare very or quite well and his overall satisfaction rating was 59%.
The paper did not give details of how many people were questioned for the poll or when.
- AFP
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