Angus Reid Global Monitor : Polls & Research

Low Numbers for Blair and his Government in UK

September 25, 2005

Credit:The White House

Tony Blair

Abstract: (Angus Reid Global Scan) - More Britons are disheartened with the performance of the Labour government, according to a poll by MORI. 54 per cent of respondents are dissatisfied with the way the administration headed by prime minister Tony Blair is doing its job, up four points since July.

(Angus Reid Global Scan) - More Britons are disheartened with the performance of the Labour government, according to a poll by MORI. 54 per cent of respondents are dissatisfied with the way the administration headed by prime minister Tony Blair is doing its job, up four points since July.

The approval rating for Blair fell to 39 per cent. Satisfaction with the performance of Conservative leader Michael Howard is stable at 25 per cent, while the number for Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy increased to 46 per cent.

In May, British voters renewed the House of Commons. The Labour party secured 356 seats, followed by the Conservatives with 197 and the Liberal Democrats with 62. In the 2001 election, Labour elected 413 parliamentarians. Blair has headed the British government since 1997.

Last week, former Labour leader Neil Kinnock said Blair is likely to step down around May 2008, saying, "(He) made the decision before the election that it would be his last as leader. I know he will give his successor a reasonable time to work in which would be, at least, the cycle of a year."

Current chancellor of the exchequer Gordon Brown has been mentioned as a possible replacement for Blair.

Polling Data

Are you satisfied or dissatisfied with the way the government is doing its job?

 

Aug. 2005

Jul. 2005

Jun. 2005

Satisfied

36%

37%

34%

Dissatisfied

54%

51%

55%

Are you satisfied or dissatisfied with the way Labour leader and prime minister Tony Blair is doing his job?

 

Aug. 2005

Jul. 2005

Jun. 2005

Satisfied

39%

44%

39%

Dissatisfied

51%

47%

52%

Are you satisfied or dissatisfied with the way Mr. Howard is doing his job?

 

Aug. 2005

Jul. 2005

Jun. 2005

Satisfied

25%

25%

23%

Dissatisfied

45%

48%

49%

Are you satisfied or dissatisfied with the way Mr. Kennedy is doing his job?

 

Aug. 2005

Jul. 2005

Jun. 2005

Satisfied

46%

42%

46%

Dissatisfied

26%

29%

26%

Source: MORI
Methodology: Face-to-face interviews to 2,047 British adults, conducted from Aug. 11 to Aug. 15, 2005. No margin of error was provided.