December 18, 2007

Abstract: (Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Almost two-thirds of people in Scotland are dissatisfied with British prime minister and Labour leader Gordon Brown, according to a poll by YouGov. 64 per cent of respondents believe Brown has been disappointing, while 18 per cent rate him as impressive.

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Almost two-thirds of people in Scotland are dissatisfied with British prime minister and Labour leader Gordon Brown, according to a poll by YouGov. 64 per cent of respondents believe Brown has been disappointing, while 18 per cent rate him as impressive.

Conversely, 63 per cent of respondents think the local government headed by the Scottish National Party (SNP) has fared well, while only 26 per cent deem it bad.

In June, 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. Brown represents Scotland’s Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath constituency in the House of Commons.

The Kingdom of Scotland was an independent state until May 1, 1707, when the Acts of Union established the United Kingdom of Great Britain.

In a 1997 referendum, voters in Scotland supported the creation of a legislative assembly with tax varying powers. In May, Scottish voters renewed their Parliament. The SNP—led by Alex Salmond—finished in first place with 47 of the legislature’s 129 seats, followed by the Labour party with 46 mandates. Salmond—who advocates for Scotland’s independence from Britain—became first minister in a 49-46 Scottish Parliament vote, with the support of the SNP and the Greens.

On Dec. 10, British Conservative leader David Cameron referred to break-away ideas in Britain, saying they are leaving "an ugly stain of separatism that is seeping through the Union flag" and threatening to break up the United Kingdom. The Tory leader also accused Brown of "not doing enough" to unite the nation.

Polling Data

The Scottish National Party (SNP) has been in government in Scotland for just over six months. How do you think the SNP government has fared so far?

Very well / Fairly well	63%
Very / Fairly badly	26%
Don’t know	12%

And if you had to choose, which of the following words would best sum how you’d rate Gordon Brown as prime minister up to now?

Disappointing	64%
Impressive	18%
Don’t know	18%

Source: YouGov
Methodology: Interviews with 1,111 Scottish adults, conducted from Nov. 28 to Nov. 30, 2007. No margin of error was provided.