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Angus Reid Global Monitor : Polls & Research
Britons Review Retirement Timetable for Blair
Credit:UN/DPI Photo
Tony Blair
(Angus Reid Global Scan) - Many adults in Britain believe their prime minister should stand down in the last few months of his third term, according to a poll by Populus published in The Times. 39 per cent of respondents think Tony Blair should quit shortly before the next election.
British voters renewed the House of Commons on May 5. The governing Labour party secured 356 seats, followed by the Conservatives with 197 and the Liberal Democrats with 62. Blair acknowledged the result, saying, "It seems clear that the British people wanted the return of a Labour government but with a reduced majority." In the 2001 election, Labour elected 413 parliamentarians.
Last October, Blair announced that he would retire at the end of his next term. Current chancellor of the exchequer Gordon Brown has been mentioned as a possible replacement for Blair. 28 per cent of respondents think the current prime minister should quit now, while 23 per cent believe he should stand down by the end of next year.
On May 27, Blair called for action on Africa, saying it is "the only continent anywhere in the world that has gone backwards in the last 30 years." Blair has called for an additional $25 billion U.S. a year in assistance for Africa from the world's most developed nations.
Polling Data
Tony Blair has said he wants to remain as prime minister throughout this Parliament before handing over to his successor before the next election, while some people are saying they think he should step down much sooner that that. Which of the following statements is closer to your view?
He should stand down now | 28% |
He should stand down by the end of next year | 23% |
He should stand down shortly before the next election | 39% |
Don't know | 10% |
Source: Populus / The Times
Methodology: Telephone interviews to 1,513 British adults, conducted from Jun. 3 to Jun. 5, 2005. No margin of error was provided.