Poll Archive

The Times Poll - April 2008

Fieldwork: April 4th 2008 - April 6th 2008

published by The Times

Click here to download detailed results 180k

Change since previous poll (5th-7th March) shown in brackets

Labour	33%	(-1%)
Conservative	39%	(+2%)
Lib Dem	17%	(-2%)
Others	11%	(+1%)

How good a leader (on a 10-point scale) is…

All voters	Aug-04	Sep-04	Oct-04	Nov-04	Jan-05	Jan-06	May-06	Jul-06	Sep-06	Jan-07	May-07	Jul-07	Jan-08	Mar-08	Apr-08
Howard	4.52	4.44	4.15	4.54	4.58
Cameron						5.28	5.11	4.98	5.20	5.11	4.95	4.81	5.07	5.23	4.96
Blair	4.90	4.84	5.31	4.85	5.07	5.33	4.72	4.21	4.63	4.69	5.22
Brown											5.00	5.49	4.60	4.59	4.50
Kennedy	5.04	5.05	4.98	4.87	4.95	4.69
Campbell							4.70	4.50	4.47	4.65	4.20	4.36
Clegg													4.40	4.16	4.27

Now I'd like to ask how optimistic or pessimistic you are about Britain's economy. Thinking about all the things that may affect the economy - such as changes in salaries and wages, the level of interest rates and tax, the rates of inflation and unemployment, and the strength of the pound – how do you think the British economy will fare over the next year a) for the country as a whole, and b) for you and your family?. * Data from online poll conducted on 21st November

	Sep-03	Mar-04	Nov-04	Apr-05	Nov-05	Mar-07	Sep-07	Nov-07*	Apr-08
Country as a Whole - Well	65%	64%	64%	77%	64%	56%	53%	34%	39%
Country as a Whole - Badly	36%	29%	28%	19%	28%	36%	45%	55%	59%
Country as a Whole - Net	29%	35%	36%	58%	36%	20%	8%	-21%	-20%
Me and Family - Well	65%	63%	63%	75%	63%	60%	61%	33%	50%
Me and Family - Badly	35%	31%	28%	19%	28%	34%	34%	53%	47%
Me and Family - Net	30%	32%	35%	56%	35%	26%	27%	-20%	3%

Would you say that Britain is on the right track at the moment, or do you think the country going off in the wrong direction? [Change since September 2007 shown in brackets]

	All	Men	Women	AB	C1	C2	DE	Con	Lab	LD
Right track	24% (-6%)	27% (-2%)	21% (-9%)	26% (-7%)	25% (-10%)	22% (+6%)	22% (-11%)	15% (+4%)	50% (-7%)	16% (-15%)
Wrong direction	70% (+3%)	69% (+2%)	71% (+4%)	68% (+7%)	66% (+4%)	74% (-9%)	75% (+9%)	83% (-5%)	45% (+6%)	79% (+15%)
net 'right track'	-46% (-9%)	-42% (-4%)	-50% (-13%)	-42% (-14%)	-41% (-14%)	-52% (+15%)	-53% (-20%)	-68% (+9%)	+5% (-13%)	-63% (-30%)

Regardless of which party you would vote for, please say in each case whether you think each of the following words or phrases is true or not true of the Labour Party, the Conservative Party and the Liberal Democrats. [Change since September 07 shown in brackets where applicable]

Characteristics of the parties (% saying TRUE)	Labour	Conservative	Lib Dem
Is honest and principled	29% (-8%)	36% (+2%)	45% (-1%)
Is competent and capable	37% (-19%)	45% (+6%)	33% (-3%)
Cares about the problems ordinary people have to deal with	41% (-6%)	41% (+3%)	52% (+4%)
Clear about what they stand for	39%	46%	44%

* Data from online poll conducted on 21st November

Honest & principled	2003	2004	2005	2006	Sep 2007	Nov 2007 *	April 2008
Labour	23%	29%	31%	23%	37%	20%	29%
Conservative	32%	31%	34%	31%	34%	26%	36%
Lib Dem	51%	56%	52%	41%	46%	30%	45%

* Data from online poll conducted on 21st November

Competent & capable	2003	2004	2005	2006	Sep 2007	Nov 2007 *	April 2008
Labour	39%	46%	51%	36%	56%	26%	37%
Conservative	32%	41%	36%	41%	39%	33%	45%
Lib Dem	44%	46%	46%	32%	36%	14%	33%

* Data from online poll conducted on 21st November

Cares about the problems of ordinary people	2003	2004	2005	2006	Sep 2007	Nov 2007 *	April 2008
Labour	39%	44%	45%	40%	47%	28%	41%
Conservative	34%	37%	34%	36%	38%	33%	41%
Lib Dem	57%	66%	57%	50%	48%	38%	52%

It is now just over 9 months since Gordon Brown has been Prime Minister. Please say whether you think, so far, that… [Change since September 2007 shown in brackets]

	All	Men	Women	AB	C1	C2	DE
He has done better than expected	5% (-16%)	3% (-17%)	6% (-16%)	3% (-24%)	5% (-12%)	5% (-13%)	5% (-16%)
He has done worse than expected	36% (+30%)	40% (+34%)	32% (+25%)	37% (+32%)	41% (+35%)	30% (+24%)	34% (+26%)
He has done about as well as expected	57% (-10%)	54% (-14%)	59% (-7%)	58% (-5%)	51% (-19%)	63% (-11%)	56% (-6%)

	All	Men	Women	AB	C1	C2	DE
He has made a real difference to Britain	3% (-3%)	5% (-1%)	2% (-4%)	4% (-2%)	3% (-)	4% (-1%)	3% (-8%)
He has made only a little difference	33% (+5%)	34% (+5%)	32% (+4%)	33% (+5%)	37% (+14%)	21% (-15%)	37% (+8%)
He has made no difference at all	62% (-)	61% (-1%)	64% (+3%)	61% (-3%)	59% (-10%)	75% (+18%)	58% (+4%)

	All	Men	Women	AB	C1	C2	DE
He has delivered action, not just words	25% (-14%)	23% (-14%)	26% (-15%)	26% (-16%)	25% (-9%)	19% (-25%)	26% (-10%)
He has been all talk and no action	67% (+21%)	73% (+22%)	63% (+22%)	64% (+24%)	66% (+17%)	76% (+28%)	66% (+19%)
Net 'action not words'	-42% (-35%)	-50% (-36%)	-37% (-37%)	-38% (-40%)	-41% (-26%)	-57% (-53%)	-40% (-29%)

	All	Men	Women	AB	C1	C2	DE
He is better than Tony Blair	14% (-10%)	12% (-13%)	15% (-8%)	13% (-19%)	12% (-9%)	8% (-9%)	21% (-4%)
He is worse than Tony Blair	31% (+24%)	35% (+28%)	27% (+20%)	37% (+33%)	38% (+31%)	24% (+14%)	21% (+13%)
He is about the same as Tony Blair	53% (-7%)	51% (-8%)	54% (-7%)	48% (-7%)	46% (-16%)	66% (-2%)	54% (-1%)

Which of the following do you most blame for the current credit crunch and cutting off of new mortgages by many lenders?

	All	Men	Women	AB	C1	C2	DE	Lab	Con	LD	Swing
The government	14%	15%	13%	11%	14%	16%	17%	7%	17%	9%	14%
The Bank of England	5%	5%	5%	4%	5%	5%	5%	6%	7%	3%	3%
High Street banks and lenders	14%	15%	13%	16%	12%	14%	13%	18%	14%	11%	12%
The international finance system	17%	23%	11%	27%	14%	14%	10%	16%	21%	22%	16%
All about equally	37%	29%	45%	30%	43%	42%	34%	40%	30%	44%	41%
None of the above	7%	10%	5%	7%	7%	4%	11%	5%	6%	3%	7%
Don't know	5%	3%	7%	5%	3%	4%	9%	7%	4%	9%	7%

Medical researchers want to create embryos that are mostly human, but which contain a little animal material, because they think this will help them to understand diseases such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's. It will be illegal to implant these embryos in a womb, or to study them for more than 14 days. Do you think these experiments should or should not be permitted? If you don't have a clear view either way, please say so

	All	Men	Women	18-34	35-54	55+	AB	C1	C2	DE	Lab	Con	LD
Should	50%	58%	43%	49%	50%	50%	60%	47%	47%	45%	53%	57%	46%
Should not	30%	26%	33%	31%	31%	27%	23%	34%	31%	31%	23%	26%	26%
Don't know	20%	17%	24%	20%	19%	23%	17%	19%	22%	24%	24%	17%	28%
Net 'should'	20%	32%	10%	18%	19%	23%	37%	13%	16%	14%	30%	31%	20%

At present, fertility clinics must consider a child's "need for a father" before agreeing to treat infertile patients. The Government plans to change this so that clinics must instead consider the "need for supportive parenting", so as to make sure the law does not discriminate against single women and lesbians who want fertility treatment in order to have a baby. Do you think the law should or should not be changed in this way? If you don't have a clear view either way, please say so.

	All	Men	Women	18-34	35-54	55+	AB	C1	C2	DE	Lab	Con	LD
Should	32%	33%	31%	44%	36%	19%	33%	37%	31%	25%	32%	26%	42%
Should not	40%	40%	39%	30%	37%	50%	38%	41%	39%	42%	36%	54%	29%
Don't know	28%	27%	30%	26%	27%	31%	29%	22%	30%	33%	32%	20%	29%
Net 'should'	-8%	-7%	-8%	14%	-1%	-31%	-5%	-4%	-8%	-17%	-4%	-28%	13%

Populus interviewed a random sample of 1502 adults aged 18+ by telephone between 4th April 2008 and 6th April 2008. Interviews were conducted across England and the results have been weighted to be representative of all English adults. Populus is a member of the British Polling Council and abides by its rules. For a full description of the methods we use, please click here.

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