Embattled British Prime Minister Gordon Brown suffered a new poll blow yesterday as a survey suggested the main opposition Conservatives are at their most popular since the era of Margaret Thatcher.
Brown is struggling to keep his governing Labour Party in line ahead of its annual conference starting tomorrow, after a junior minister resigned and became the latest to call for Brown to face a leadership contest.
The new Ipsos MORI opinion poll put the Conservatives, whose leader David Cameron hopes to succeed Brown in elections that must be held by May 2010, on 52 percent, 28 points ahead of Labour on 24 percent.
The third main party, the Liberal Democrats, were on 12 percent, the survey of 1,017 adults showed last weekend, just after the latest surge of Labour infighting began.
BEST SINCE THATCHER
The results, which follow months of dire ratings for Brown, are the first time the Conservatives have polled above 50 percent since August 1988, a year after Thatcher’s third general election win for the center-right party.
Some 54 percent of those questioned said the Conservatives were ready to form the next government — up 19 points on last month.
In a magazine interview published yesterday, but conducted before the poll, Cabinet minister James Purnell admitted he was “worried” at Labour’s ratings and refused to condemn the lawmakers who had voiced doubts about Brown.
A long-simmering rebellion against Brown’s leadership came to the surface last Friday when a junior government member, Siobhain McDonagh, was fired for calling for a leadership challenge.
Over the weekend, a series of Labour lawmakers also came out publicly for a contest, culminating in the resignation on Tuesday of Scotland Office Minister David Cairns.
Purnell, the work and pensions minister, refused to bad-mouth the rebels, telling New Statesman magazine that it “would be ridiculous to pretend that you can’t complain when you’re worried.”
“I mean, I’m worried that we’re 20 points behind [in the polls]. I’m not going to condemn people or question their motives,” he said, adding that he did not agree with their actions.
THE CONTENDERS
Possible contenders for the Labour leadership include Foreign Secretary David Miliband and Secretary of State for Justice Jack Straw, although none has formally declared.
In September 2006, the resignations of seven ministerial aides helped push Brown’s predecessor Tony Blair into announcing his plans to stand down.
Brown took over from Blair in June last year and initially enjoyed strong poll ratings, but they collapsed after the credit crunch hit and he decided last October against a widely expected snap election.
Anyone wishing to challenge formally for the Labour leadership has to gain the support of 20 percent of the party’s lawmakers — currently 71 people — and seek nomination before the party conference.
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