(10/23/09) -

Just One-in-Four Britons Approve of Brown

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – Britain’s incumbent head of government holds a low level of public support, according to a poll by Angus Reid Strategies. Only 26 per cent of respondents approve of Gordon Brown’s performance as prime minister.

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – Britain’s incumbent head of government holds a low level of public support, according to a poll by Angus Reid Strategies. Only 26 per cent of respondents approve of Gordon Brown’s performance as prime minister.

The approval rating for Conservative party leader David Cameron stands at 48 per cent, while 40 per cent of respondents are satisfied with the way Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg is handling his duties.

In June 2007, Brown officially became Labour leader and prime minister, replacing Tony Blair. Brown had worked as chancellor of the exchequer. Blair served as Britain’s prime minister since May 1997, winning majority mandates in the 1997, 2001 and 2005 elections to the House of Commons.

Since December 2005, Cameron has been the leader of the Conservative party. In December 2007, current parliamentarian Clegg became the new leader of the Liberal Democrats.

On Oct. 18, Brown warned about the consequences of global warming, saying, "We can’t afford to fail. If we fail, we pay a heavy price. For the planet, there is no plan B. (…) If we do not reach a deal [at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in December], let us be in no doubt: once the damage from unchecked emissions growth is done, no retrospective global agreement in some future period can undo that choice."

The next election to the House of Commons must be held on or before Jun. 3, 2010. Sitting prime ministers can dissolve Parliament and call an early ballot at their discretion.

Polling Data

Do you approve or disapprove of Gordon Brown’s performance as Prime Minister?

Do you approve or disapprove of David Cameron’s performance as Leader of the Opposition?

Do you approve or disapprove of Nick Clegg’s performance as leader of the Liberal Democrats?

Source: Angus Reid Strategies
Methodology: Online interviews with 2,077 British adults, conducted on Oct. 15 and Oct. 16, 2009. Margin of error is 2.2 per cent.

Complete Poll (PDF)