(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Many people in Britain—though not a majority—think that the opposition Conservative party is ready to assume the country’s leadership, according to a poll by YouGov published in the Daily Telegraph. 43 per cent of respondents share this view.

Additionally, 49 per cent of respondents say that Tory leader David Cameron "looks like a prime minister in waiting", while 34 per cent disagree.

In June 2007, Gordon 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 October 2007, Cameron challenged Brown to call a snap election, but the prime minister later announced he would not hold an early ballot.

In December 2007, current parliamentarian Nick Clegg became the new leader of the Liberal Democrats, defeating environment spokesman Chris Huhne in a leadership ballot by just over 500 votes.

The British economy has been severely hit by both a domestic and international financial crisis.

On Sept. 30 Cameron said he would support a series of measures proposed by Brown to change banking regulations, saying, "There will be a day of reckoning, but today is not that day. (...) Today is a day for safety, for security and for protection. Everyone needs to know that we are doing everything we can to keep your job, your pension, your mortgage safe."

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

People often say, referring to the main opposition party, that it is, or is not, ‘ready for government’. Do you believe the Conservatives today are or are not ready for government?

People often say that the Leader of the Opposition does, or does not, ‘look like a prime minister in waiting’. Do you believe that at the moment David Cameron does or does not look like a prime minister in waiting?

Source: YouGov / Daily Telegraph
Methodology: Online interviews with 2,048 British voters, conducted from Oct. 1 to Oct. 3, 2008. No margin of error was provided.

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