The new Populus poll shows that 74 percent of the electorate thinks Gordon Brown is a bad Prime Minister. As Peter Riddell—not a man prone to over-statement—writes in The Times today, “The public have given up on Gordon Brown.”
This is, obviously, in one sense great news for the Tories. Running against an incumbent who is a busted flush during a recession is about as good as it gets for an opposition. But the extent of Brown’s unpopularity should cause the Tories the odd nervous moment.
Imagine for a second if Labour did get its act together and dump Brown. All of a sudden the 67 percent of voters who think it’s time for a change would have been offered something. The new Labour leader could try and present himself, or herself, as the change. (In this respect, the limited name recognition of most of Brown’s possible successors is actually a plus point.
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