(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – Many people in Britain believe having a black head of government is an unlikely proposition at this stage, according to a poll by YouGov. 36 per cent of respondents think this will not happen in Britain for the foreseeable future, despite the victory of Barack Obama in the recent United States presidential election.
(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – Many people in Britain believe having a black head of government is an unlikely proposition at this stage, according to a poll by YouGov. 36 per cent of respondents think this will not happen in Britain for the foreseeable future, despite the victory of Barack Obama in the recent United States presidential election.
Conversely, 27 per cent of respondents say the country will have a black prime minister within the next 20 years, and 17 per cent think this could be the case in 20 to 40 years time.
In American elections, candidates require 270 votes in the Electoral College to win the White House. On Nov. 4, Democratic nominee Obama secured a majority of electoral votes, defeating Republican candidate John McCain. Obama will become the first African American president in U.S. history when he takes over from George W. Bush—who served two four-year terms—on Jan. 20, 2009.
On Nov. 5, British prime minister Gordon Brown said that Obama won the U.S. election because he was a "serious man for serious times" and embodied "progressive" values shared by his own Labour party. Opposition leader David Cameron of the Conservative party, on the other hand, said that Obama’s promise of change resonated with Britons while it contrasted with Labour’s "more of the same" approach.
Polling Data
Do you think following Barack Obama’s victory in the United States Britain will have a black prime minister…
|
Within the next 20 years |
27% |
|
In 20-40 years time |
17% |
|
Not for the foreseeable future |
36% |
|
Not sure |
21% |
Source: YouGov
Methodology: Online interviews with 2,080 British voters, conducted on Nov. 13 and Nov. 14, 2008. No margin of error was provided.
