More bad poll news for Brown

Politics Home, which is becoming an indispensable resource, flags up tomorrow’s poll in The Times which shows the Tories ahead 39 to 33. The Tories will be disappointed not to be above the psychologically important 40 percent mark but the guts of the poll contain much encouragement for them.

Seven in ten voters say that Britain is heading in the wrong direction, Gordon Brown’s leader rating is down to 4.50 among all voters and 6.26 among Labour voters—a drop among Labour voters of almost half a point, and the Tories now have a clear lead on which party is competent and capable.

Blairites still bitter at the way that the Brownites rushed Blair out of office will be amused by the fact that 31 percent now think Brown is worse than Blair, while only 14 percent see him as an improvement. If the Tories take London on May 1st and do well elsewhere, then the Brown government will appear to be in terminal decline.