Surge in support for Brown won't last
VOTERS reckon Gordon Brown is doing a good job handling the current economic crisis-but they still DON'T want to vote for him in the next election.
An exclusive News of the World ICM poll shows today that his recent return to favour is merely a "dead cat bounce".
The famous phrase-first coined by traders about doomed shares briefly rallying-comes from the notion that "even a dead cat will bounce if it falls from a great height-but it's still dead".
And it sums up precisely the public's ambivalent attitude to the Prime Minister. They may see him as the the best man to tackle a recession BUT still don't want him to stay on at Number 10.
Our poll also reveals even key traditional groups of Labour voters-women, young people, even blue-collar workers-are increasingly turning against him. When asked about how he is dealing with the global economic crisis 54 PER CENT of voters say he's doing well, against 36 PER CENT who say he is doing badly.
And when asked who voters trust more on the economy he wins again. Mr Brown and Chancellor Alistair Darling are backed by 43 PER CENT, while David Cameron and Shadow Chancellor George Osborne get 35 PER CENT. But when pollsters asked if this support means more votes for Mr Brown at the next election the PM's "bounce" disappears. ICM were told by 13 PER CENT that they would be MORE likely to vote Labour. However, 22 PER CENT of voters say they are now LESS likely to back them.
Worrying for Labour, today's poll shows that working class voters are abandoning Labour as they fear for their jobs.
Almost a THIRD of working-class voters say they are less likely to vote Labour-and a QUARTER of women voters have also been put off the party.
The findings also show that young voters, who may not have any significant memories of the last recession in the early 1990s, are MORE critical of Labour. Hit by more expensive mortgages and the rising cost of living, 40 PER CENT of 34 to 44-year-olds say Brown's doing badly, while 62 PER CENT of 45 to 54-year-olds say he is doing well.
The poll shows the Tories' plan of attacking Brown on his wider record as PM is hitting home. Last night Mr Osborne said: "This weekend News of the World readers are in a state of real anxiety, worried about their jobs, pensions, mortgages and bills."
ian.kirby@notw.co.uk
ICM interviewed a random sample of 1,041 adults aged 18+ by telephone between October 15 and 17. Interviews were conducted across the country and the results have been weighted to the profile of all adults. Percentages may not add to 100 per cent because of rounding. ICM is a member of the British Polling Council.
Unseen SuBo video
Floods UK in pictures
Winking lovely
VANDAL AGED 2 NICKED
Bullies suicide drive
Nurses to be sacked for carers
M&S boss's secret file on 'nutters'
This article has 18 comments
Mandleson and Alistair Campbell are back to help Brown spin himself out of disaster at the next general election.
What does it tell you about Brown that he enlists such disreputable creeps such as these?
By john. Posted October 19 2008 at 11:23 PM.
I agree that politics is becoming more and more distasteful with all the spin and backhanders and expense fiddling etc. by MPs and other officials as has been correctly drawn out here. However, we are stuck with it as we believe in democracy however hypocritical it can be. I was a Civil Servant for 39 years and the money spent on consultants who merely pick your brains and experience is alarming, as are the grade rises covered up in certain departments just to hike up salaries so people will not go elsewhere. It is criminal but no one has put a stop to it while the NHS is crumbling. Britain was Great but we are no more. As to the current position, all I would say is 'Be afraid be very afraid ' to coin a phrase. The Thatcher lot crucified many manufacturing industries and reduced many mining towns to ghost towns, while at the same time the interest rates on your mortgage was 15+ per cent. Think about it if this is what you want for your children. At least this lot are trying to regulate the banking system to ensure rates are kept low. Unfortunately a lot of it comes down to personalities or the lack of them. Brown is dour and boring but genuine while Cameron is flamboyantly false and oozes insincerity and has no answers, only a few days after his advisors have told him what to say.
By BOUNCE. Posted October 19 2008 at 8:09 PM.
Dead Right! ( but I hope no real animals were harmed in writing it)
By R James. Posted October 19 2008 at 7:10 PM.
In his first budget Brown robbed our pension funds of 5 billion pounds a year.He then proceeded to sell most of our gold reserves at the bottom of the market.This financial genius then identified this country's problems as being the result of over-borrowing and adds fuel to the fire by inreasing government borrowing to the highest level in the developed world, so much so that a deficit of 100 billion pounds is now in prospect.He must be the only person in the country who is still laughing.
By Ian. Posted October 19 2008 at 3:41 PM.
Gorden Brown is demanding that petrol stations reduce petrol to 1 pound per litre, why does'nt he just reduce the excise TAX by 10p, 70% of every pound spent on fuel goes straight into the tax and spend coffers of the socialist/communistic government, unfortunatly they have never seen a tax which they don't like and until he is turfed out on his ear NOTHING will change and taxes will continue to errode earnings away to a pittance.
By bernie. Posted October 19 2008 at 2:03 PM.
Nu Labour have wrecked this country,over taxed us,brought in marxist policies ,free loading immigration,taking away our basic freedoms,they are nothing short of a party of dictatorship.Vote for them at all our peril!
By Robert Boyd. Posted October 19 2008 at 1:56 PM.
The Labour government have messed up on quite a few issues but I would soon have Labour in than a Tory government. We are in this mess now because conservative policies. Privatising the utilities and selling off council housing stock. If they get in again all that will happen is that they will curb public spending, which will lead to more job losses. Hospital waiting times, which in my department have come down from two years to zero, will rise again. Instead of the NHS working with the private sector they will privatise it completely. Labour has pump billions into the banking system to bail out greedy shareholders and people with thousands of pounds in the banks, yet it is these who criticize the government the most. When we got rid of the Tory’s I breathed a sigh of relief don’t think by voting them back in again things will get better. The only people that will gain are the rich by keeping the poor in their place.
By Kevin. Posted October 19 2008 at 1:07 PM.
It is not Brown fighting for his survival, it is his wordsmiths and advisors, Brown is still in his fantasy world of spin and lies.
At great cost to the electorate, he has disguised unemployment by adding useless perons to the government payroll.
To have them, more cheaply, receiving unemployment payments would have shown Brown up for the failure he is.
The upshot is, Brown has been found out. He will get his marching orders as soon as he dare call an election. The latest ruse concerning immigration is yet more unenforcable and desperate soundbites.
By DonB. Posted October 19 2008 at 12:42 PM.
What does to Conserve mean? Keep things the same/preserve. The Conservative party have always looked after their own (the rich). I would tell people to be careful what you wish for. Cameron is a Public Relations man he is worth £30 million and only interested in power...
Brown may have made mistakes but his heart is in the right place and he wants to help the less fortunate and the ordinary working man/woman. Tory tax cuts won't benefit me or the average worker - just the rich who have already made themelves fat at the trough of the financial system.
By Ken. Posted October 19 2008 at 12:34 PM.
Brown has done an amazing job at which is openly acknowledged by most PROFFESIONALS in world banking, however some on here obviously know better probably just had their briefing from the editor of their daily tabloid and are just trying to make people think the whole country is as think as them. Tories are very like Jedi Knights, they can use the Jedi mind trick. They convince the weak minded that " we will be better for you " Remember 3 million on the dole, the poll tax causing riots on the streets a good example of showing how they care about us all wasn't it, making the pensioner on low income pay the same as a multi- millionaire in Mayfair that what that was about, And while we are there what about moving people out of Council houses in Westminster so they could move their cronies in and buy them for nothing, which is why nationally we now have no affordable housing for our kids. Selling of OUR power, utilities and just about everything else the people owned to make vast profits for the REAL Tories, not the ones who brought a few shares and then sold them off as soon as the markets opened but the ones who brought them up and were the people the Tories always knew would get them and make vast profits on them as they knew most ordinary people would take the quick windfall and get out.
So when we on one hand are we are all moaning that old people can not afford to stay warm Remember who privatised our power companies? -
A price worth paying I don’t think so
By Cantgetmehatoff. Posted October 19 2008 at 11:52 AM.
I entirely agree with you Rob!
This lot are indeed the most disgusting bunch of excuses for human beings we have had the misfortune to be 'mis' ruled by!
Yet again the Labour party have shown their true colours by (mis) leading this great nation of ours into oblivion. Great Britain is yet again practically unrecogniseable after suffering at the hands of these socialist morons. Indigenous Brits are being persecuted at the hands of politically correct 'new labour' idiots as the country becomes a free for all for every foreign Tom Dick and Harry to abuse without question.
Brown and his cronies are entirely to blame for this mess and what they have done to MY country is unforgiveable. I will never forgive him and I will never forget. He should go back to his own ******* country - ie: Scotland - and let us get on with trying to rebuild this disaster-zone for future generations. (Even though I suspect the majority of our future generations aren't truly British!!!!!) Long live David Cameron and the Tories!!!
By Bq. Posted October 19 2008 at 9:05 AM.
Listen people - stop moaning & groaning about whether labour are better than the tories & vice versa. They are different sides of the SAME coin!
What we need is real democracy. I don't claim to have the answers - but what we have, is NOT a fair & just system. VOTE for NONE of the ABOVE at the next election. ALL MP's & MEP's that have raided the public purse should be jailed & stripped of their assets, as should any civil servant scum awarding themeslves huge salaries & pensions. We need MORE prisons (prisons without the holiday atmosphere) & we need to crack the culture of "backhanders" between policiticians & business.
By CallmeV. Posted October 19 2008 at 9:13 AM.
then you lot whinging are going to do it all again by voting in cameron blair mk 2 no change you will all still be paying for the useless 3rd world and europe while all your old folk freeze and starve.any one who is really british should be voting for we all khow who. i wont say the name as the paper wont publish this .
By david knox . Posted October 19 2008 at 8:19 AM.
Do you really think I am going to vote for the man who pushed Humpty off the wall, and then uses my taxes to put him back together again. Labour have failed in all areas not just the economy. English working people are now becoming 2nd class citizens in their own country.
By Frederick. Posted October 19 2008 at 6:26 AM.
Rob
the tories havent been in power for over 12 years, ooh sorry of course maggie is still to blame, lol no wonder were up **** creek without a paddle when muppets like you post comments yours !! i suppose you have conveniently forgot the 2 million odd unemployed under labour, the rubbish not being collected, oh yea how about dead bodies pilling up in side streets and 20 % inflation, oh hang on was that 78 or 08 hmmmmm im all confused either way LABOUR ****** it up again, the most disgusting bunch of excuses for human beings we have had the misfortune to be mis ruled over, oh yea a point on democracy for all, more people in england voted torie at the last election, so why do we have a labour gov ??
By aka. Posted October 19 2008 at 6:21 AM.
People are such hypocrites. When Gordon saves us all from the worldwide credit misery we will vote him back in for another term
By Keith Price. Posted October 19 2008 at 12:51 AM.
Do people really think the Tories give a flying **** about unemployment! If so then they have learnt nothing in the last 29 years, or are simply are too ignorant of history. The Tories and their apologists showed the world just how much they cared about jobless figures. Remeber Lamont's 'a price worth paying' or how the Tories let the the unemployed suffer following the 1929 crash. To mis-quote Bevan 'they are lower than vermin'
By Rob . Posted October 18 2008 at 11:32 PM.
Gordon Brown made the global credit crunch worse, by having a massive black hole of debt, through over spending over the last eleven years. That massive debt is now unbelievable worse by borrowing from the IMF, to bail the banks out. Basically he had no money in the pot for a rainy day, like the credit crunch. Also he has allowed immigration to get out of control, giving them houses, money and health care without them paying a penny into the system. The people of this country are sick to the back teeth of labour and all their lies, spin and sleaze. Bringing back Lord Mandy and Campbell has really done it for me. If they were re-elected they would just revert back to their old ways. The country is in ruin and they can't be trusted.
By maggie. Posted October 18 2008 at 11:27 PM.