Another poll shows Labour heading for a Gord awful defeat
James Forsyth 11:38pm
The latest Populus poll for The Times shows just what kind of defeat Labour are currently heading for at the next election. The Tories lead by 16 points from Labour who are on 27 percent. Peter Riddell report that on a uniform swing, this would lead to a Tory majority of close to 150 seats and see Labour reduced to having only three Southern MPs outside of London.
52 percent of voters say that dumping Brown would be good for Labour’s prospects. But 44 percent think that “a younger, fresher, more charismatic alternative” would not increase Labour’s chances of winning.
Perhaps, most worrying for the government is how much more pessimistic voters are becoming about their own personal economic circumstances. 66 percent expect their families to be worse off in the coming year, up from 47 percent in April. Last September, when Brown was riding high in the polls, by people thought by a 27 point margin that they and their families would be better off in the coming year. As Polly Tonybee argued on Newsnight, Brown and the economy are so interlinked that for Labour to recover either the economy needs to do so or Brown needs to go.
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WB
July 29th, 2008 12:35am Report this commentWhy would any Labour politician now want to accept the poisoned chalice of the Prime Ministership?
Wouldn't their best course be to accept that they will lose the next election, and let Gordon Brown take all the blame, disposing of him only after he has performed his greatest service as scapegoat?
Austin Barry
July 29th, 2008 12:44am Report this commentI notice that it's been all quiet on the Hazel Blears front. When Gordon's chirpy little sycophant goes back to quietly tapping her mirror and nibbling seeds we know that his days are numbered.
Edward Rivers
July 29th, 2008 8:42am Report this commentI'd say that the Populus poll may be inaccurate, most polls put the conservatives between 18-20. With a lead like that the problem, though directed at Gordon Brown, goes right to the radical of the goverment. Brown is the icon for public hate of his goverment, not merely a private figure who the country dislikes.
TomTom
July 29th, 2008 9:08am Report this commentBrown should simply call a General Election and take them down with him. He gains nothing by continuing save to see major UK banks swallowed by US or EU banks, and after reneging on the EU Referendum he has no credibility left whatsoever in any manifesto he or his party might write
Tory Lion
July 29th, 2008 9:46am Report this commentWB - couldn't agree more. No one in their right mind would put themselves forward at this time, it would be political suicide.
One hopes this is the only reason that the cabinet are offering words of support for the PM because if they genuinely think he's the right man for the job - we're in a far worse position than originally thought.
David C
July 29th, 2008 10:03am Report this commentWhat dumping Brown would do is break the logjam and let Labour move.
At the moment, Brown is the story. He dwarfs his party, and his fortunes and those of the Party are roped together.
Although the poll is supposed to show that pulling the plug on Brown would make no difference at the next GE, once people wake up to a changed environment, I'm not so sure.
Austin:
please don't provoke Fergus.
Old Hack
July 29th, 2008 12:38pm Report this commentIts noteworthy how many diehard socialists think the game is up and are beginning to relish the struggle to come against a Tory government. La Toynbee not least.
What's absurd is that some people still think that there is any easy way back for Labour. Brown or another in charge, Labour has run out of road.
Austin Barry
July 29th, 2008 2:00pm Report this commentAh, yes, Fergus coiner of the immortal line identifying Ms Blears as
"Labour’s finest piece of totty."
which seems quite dotty.
Silent Hunter
July 29th, 2008 2:17pm Report this commentAustin:
Thanks to you.....I shall always now see Hazel Blears as a slightly deranged budgie!
:O)......Excellent!
David C:
Brown dwarfs his party because the rest of them are political pygmies.
Edward Rivers is quite right in that Gordon Brown is merely the figurehead for an abjectly Corrupt political party called 'The Labour Party'
It's not Gordon Brown who is going to lose the next election....its the LABOUR PARTY who (hopefully) are going to cease to exist.
And that's the only real reason to even consider dumping Gordon Brown.......the vain hope that it will somehow make Labours fall from power less 'catastrophic'
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