Today’s Populus poll in the Times – the first to be conducted in the aftermath of the interest rate cut and the Glenrothes byelection – has the Tories on 41 percent (down 4 since early October); Labour on 35 percent (up 5); and the Lib Dems on 16 percent (up 1). That’s Labour’s highest level of support since March.
I doubt Team Cameron will be unduly worried by those headline numbers – after all, they are still 6 points ahead; solidly in the 40s; and all after several weeks of positive coverage for Brown. But some of the below-headline findings will cause concern. For instance, 52 percent of respondents think that Brown is the “right leader to deal with Britain’s economy in a recession”, compared to 32 percent for Cameron. Whilst Brown also edges out Cameron in the leader ratings – scoring 5.04 to the Tory leader’s 4.94.
Throw in a couple of other findings (that 73 percent of respondents support increased public spending on construction projects, and 63 percent support tax cuts even if they boost government borrowing) and the implication is that the public are going along with Brown’s narrative on the economy – for now, at least.
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