Poll Archive

The Times Poll - July 2008

Fieldwork: July 4th 2008 - July 6th 2008

published by The Times

Click here to download detailed results 251k

Change since previous poll (6th-8th June) shown in brackets

Labour	28% (+3%)
Conservative	41% (-4%)
Lib Dem	19% (-1%)
Others	12% (+3%)

The ‘Others' vote is broken down between:

SNP	4%
Green	3%
UKIP	1%
BNP	2%
Plaid Cymru	1%
Others	1%

BEST PARTY ON KEY ISSUES

[Change since December 7-9 2007 shown in brackets]
* On climate change Labour lead is over Lib Dems, not Conservatives

	Labour	Conservative	Lib Dem	None of them	Don't know	Net Labour lead
Improving the National Health Service	31% (-2%)	31% (+2%)	14% (+3%)	9% (-3%)	14% (-)	0% (-4%)
Manage Britain's economy well in bad times as well as good	26% (-9%)	39% (+5%)	10% (+6%)	10% (-1%)	14% (-)	-13% (-14%)
Improving standards in schools	31% (-2%)	32% (-)	15% (+5%)	9% (-2%)	14% (+1%)	-1% (-2%)
Getting the right balance between taxes & public spending	23% (-4%)	36% (+5%)	18% (+3%)	11% (-2%)	13% (-3%)	-13% (-9%)
Dealing effectively with crime and anti-social behaviour	20% (-6%)	40% (+4%)	12% (+5%)	14% (-1%)	14% (-1%)	-20% (-10%)
Tackling the problem of climate change	22% (-1%)	21% (+1%)	26% (+3%)	16% (-)	14% (-2%)	-4% *(-4%)
Representing Britain's best interests in the EU	26% (-3%)	35% (+5%)	14% (+3%)	10% (-1%)	15% (-3%)	-9% (-8%)
Immigration & asylum	19% (-1%)	38% (+2%)	15% (+5%)	13% (-3%)	15% (-2%)	-19% (-3%)
Tackling the shortage of affordable housing	31% (-5%)	25% (+5%)	16% (+4%)	11% (-4%)	17% (-)	+6% (-10%)

The table below shows the shift in Labour's net position in terms of headline voting intention and lead on key issues between September last year, at the apex of the Brown honeymoon poll-bounce, and now.

NET LABOUR LEAD	Sep-07	Jul-08	change Sep 07 to Jul 08
Voting intention	10%	-13%	-23%
NHS	11%	0%	-11%
Schools	8%	-1%	-9%
Economy	23%	-13%	-36%
Tax & spending	8%	-13%	-21%
Crime	-6%	-20%	-14%
Climate change	2%	-4%	-6%
Europe	12%	-9%	-21%
Immigration	-9%	-19%	-10%
Housing	23%	6%	-17%

It is now just over a year since Gordon Brown took over as Prime Minister from Tony Blair. Do you think that the following things have changed for the better, changed for the worse, or not really changed at all, compared with how they were before Gordon Brown became Prime Minister?

(The same question was asked in May 2007 in terms of expectations when Gordon Brown took over from Tony Blair. shown in brackets. Change since then shown in brackets)

	Better	Worse	No change	Net 'better'
The state of the economy	3% (-16%)	82% (+57%)	12% (-40%)	-79% (-73%)
The situation in Iraq	11% (-16%)	33% (+16%)	51% (-)	-22% (-32%)
The NHS	12% (-17%)	26% (+8%)	59% (+9%)	-14% (-25%)
Standards in schools	11% (-20%)	23% (+11%)	51% (-3%)	-12% (-31%)
Relations with America	8% (-4%)	21% (-)	62% (+1%)	-13% (-4%)
Standards in public life	4% (-20%)	56% (+38%)	36% (-19%)	-52% (-58%)
Tackling crime & anti-social behaviour	6% (-21%)	57% (+41%)	35% (-19%)	-51% (-62%)
The level of taxes	4% (-8%)	69% (+22%)	24% (-14%)	-65% (-30%)

Now I am going to read out some pairs of words or phrases. For each pair, please say which is closest to your perception of (rotate order) i) Labour leader Gordon Brown, ii) Conservative leader David Cameron and iii) Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg – even if neither word or phrase exactly represents your view.

	Brown	Cameron	Clegg	Cameron lead over Brown
Strong	29%	57%	23%	28%
Weak	67%	33%	50%	34%
Net 'strong'	-38%	24%	-27%	62%

	Brown	Cameron	Clegg	Cameron lead over Brown
Winner	21%	60%	21%	39%
Loser	74%	31%	56%	43%
Net 'winner'	-53%	29%	-35%	82%

	Brown	Cameron	Clegg	Cameron lead over Brown
Good for you & your family	22%	48%	30%	26%
Bad for you & your family	73%	36%	41%	37%
Net 'good for you & your family'	-51%	12%	-11%	63%

	Brown	Cameron	Clegg	Cameron lead over Brown
Up to the job of being Prime Minister	25%	55%	18%	30%
Not up to the job of being Prime Minister	72%	37%	59%	35%
Net 'up to the job of being Prime Minister'	-47%	18%	-41%	65%

	Brown	Cameron	Clegg	Cameron lead over Brown
In touch	27%	56%	37%	29%
Out of touch	71%	37%	42%	34%
Net 'in touch'	-44%	19%	-5%	63%

	Brown	Cameron	Clegg	Cameron lead over Brown
Likely to get things done	28%	57%	27%	29%
Not likely to get things done	68%	34%	53%	34%
Net 'likely to get things done'	-40%	23%	-26%	63%

	Brown	Cameron	Clegg	Cameron lead over Brown
Means what he says	31%	30%	30%	-1%
Says what he thinks people want to hear	66%	63%	51%	3%
Net 'means what he says'	-35%	-33%	-21%	2%

	Brown	Cameron	Clegg	Cameron lead over Brown
For the many	41%	52%	43%	11%
For the few	54%	40%	39%	14%
Net 'for the many'	-13%	12%	4%	25%

Bearing in mind the rising cost of living, the weakness of the pound against the euro and the credit crunch in Britain, please say if you are doing any of the following?

	All	Men	Women	AB	C1	C2	DE
Cutting back on the length of a summer holiday abroad	41%	43%	39%	38%	40%	51%	36%
Going on a less expensive holiday abroad than originally planned	32%	34%	31%	34%	31%	40%	26%
Switching plans from a holiday abroad to a holiday in Britain	34%	34%	33%	26%	37%	36%	36%
Cancelling plans for a summer holiday altogether	19%	19%	20%	11%	18%	22%	27%

	SE	Midlands	North	Wales & SW	Scotland
Cutting back on the length of a summer holiday abroad	39%	43%	45%	41%	31%
Going on a less expensive holiday abroad than originally planned	34%	27%	34%	41%	26%
Switching plans from a holiday abroad to a holiday in Britain	34%	33%	36%	33%	33%
Cancelling plans for a summer holiday altogether	18%	24%	20%	13%	18%

	All	Men	Women	AB	C1	C2	DE
Any of these cutbacks in holiday plans	58%	56%	60%	49%	63%	68%	56%
None of these cutbacks in holiday plans	42%	44%	40%	51%	37%	32%	44%

	SE	Midlands	North	Wales & SW	Scotland
Any of these cutbacks in holiday plans	59%	60%	60%	58%	50%
None of these cutbacks in holiday plans	41%	40%	40%	42%	50%

Populus interviewed a random sample of 1507 adults aged 18+ by telephone between 4th July 2008 and 6th July 2008. Interviews were conducted across the country and the results have been weighted to be representative of all 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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