A new YouGov poll suggests that the majority of the public think that Tony Blair is sleazy, the way honours are distributed are corrupt and that rich donors have too much influence over the Labour party.
The topline voting intention figures for the poll in the Sunday Times are CON 38% (nc) LAB 35%(-1) LDEM 19%(+1). The lead is slightly up from the last YouGov poll, conducted prior to the recent questions over party funding. While the change is far too small to be significant, it does contradict the ICM poll last week which suggested Labour had overtaken the Conservatives.
The hypothetical figures with Brown as Labour leader are CON 39% LAB 37% LDEM 17%. Unusually in recent months, this shows that Labour do better against the Conservatives under Brown than under Blair, although the difference is marginal.
Net approval ratings for the three party leaders are Blair -25, Cameron +33 and Campbell +5. Ming Campbell’s approval rating is very low by the standards of his predecessor, but this is almost certainly simply a result of a large number of people answering “don’t know” - we won’t know how he is really going down with the public until they have had time to form an opinion.
On the questions of party funding, almost two-thirds of people think Labour kept the loans secret because they were embarrassed by them and a similar amount of people though that rich donors had too much influence. 56% of people thought that the Prime Minister had indeed given peerages in exchange for loans and donations and 54% thought Downing Street acted improperly in relation to the way Jack Dromey was not informed of them. 53% of people think Tony Blair is sleazy, only 24% disagree.
UPDATE: There is also an ICM poll in the Sunday Telegraph which has voting intention at CON 33%, LAB 37%, LDEM 21%, so in line with their poll earlier in the week.
(On a personal note, I’m on holiday for the next few days, so comments in the moderation queue will not be published until my return)
4 Responses
Given the way this debate is going, were there any questions on the poll / has their been any polling done on the public’s attitude to alternative funding systems? One argument often made against state funding of parties is that it would be very unpopular with the public. Is there any polling to support that supposition?
March 19th, 2006 at 8:57 pmNick -
The YouGov poll did in fact ask about it, though the Sunday Times did not use the question. Asked the question “Some people think political parties should receive public funds of £20-30 million a year, which would cost each elector only one penny a week. Opponents say it is wrong in principle for any public money to be given to political parties. Would you support some state funding of political parties?” only 19% said they would support state funding, 65% said they would oppose it.
March 22nd, 2006 at 2:33 pmPersonally and quite frankly, if they want the power to run the country that badly, they should dip into their own pockets. It’s high time that we as a nation stood up and be counted. How many more things have to be put to us before we turn around and say, ah well jack it doesn’t affect me before it does?
March 25th, 2006 at 6:10 amAny man/woman with a nose on their face, knows that the loans have lead to currupt practice.
March 28th, 2006 at 10:20 amAny organisation that has to find ways of hiding who pays for them, and by how much, needs a quick visit from the Fraud-squad. (just to show how whiter than white they are)!
And Presscot on TV; ‘me thinks he doth protest too much’.