April 10, 2005

Abstract: (Angus Reid Global Scan) - Some voters in Britain are concerned about accountability before next month's general election, according to a poll by YouGov published in the Daily Telegraph. 35 per cent of respondents believe the current government cannot be trusted.

(Angus Reid Global Scan) - Some voters in Britain are concerned about accountability before next month's general election, according to a poll by YouGov published in the Daily Telegraph. 35 per cent of respondents believe the current government cannot be trusted.

On Apr. 5, prime minister Tony Blair asked Queen Elizabeth II to dissolve Parliament and called a general election for May 5. Blair leads the Labour party into his third nationwide vote, after victories in 1997 and 2001. 30 per cent of respondents feel the country is no longer secure.

Michael Howard—a former interior minister under John Major in the early 1990s—has been the country's top Tory politician since November 2003. Charles Kennedy has headed the Liberal Democrats since August 1999. 24 per cent of respondents say the Tories would not do better than Labour.

More than 20 per cent of respondents feel specific services are improving and the economy is in good shape, but also question the outcome of Britain's decision to support the war in Iraq.

Polling Data

Which two of the following do you think people like yourself, will have uppermost in their minds when they come to vote?

Tony Blair and many of his ministers cannot be trusted; they have constantly lied to the public and broken their promises	35%
This country is no longer safe, there is too much crime and vandalism, and too many people are coming into the country who should not be here	30%
Although the present Labour government has not been all that great, the Conservatives would probably be even worse	24%
Although the government has spent a lot of money on services like the NHS and education, these services are improving very little, if at all	23%
Britain joined America in invading Iraq, with the result that a lot of lives have been lost, the UN has been sidelined, and Iraq is now in chaos	23%
The economy is in pretty good shape, most people have jobs, prices are going up only very slowly, and interest rates are low	22%
The government is investing a lot of money in services like the NHS and education, and these services are gradually starting to improve	14%
Tony Blair and Gordon Brown between them are a formidable team, and the Conservative party is short of "heavy hitters"	10%
Don't know	7%

Source: YouGov / Daily Telegraph
Methodology: Online interviews to 5,109 British adults, conducted on Apr. 5 and Apr. 6, 2005. No margin of error was provided.