Fresh poll misery for Brown as hopes of a 'Beijing bounce' are dashed

Gordon Brown's hopes of a ' Beijing bounce' were dashed today as a new poll showed that most Britons blamed the Government for the economic downturn - and Labour MPs threatened a fresh rebellion.

The Prime Minister, who arrived back from the Olympics last night, was hit by a poll that showed more than three-quarters of voters felt ministers bore at least some of the responsibility for the country's economic woes.

A further 63 per cent felt handling of the slowdown had been 'bad' or 'terrible'.

Worse still, more than a quarter of people who had always voted for Labour said they were less likely to do so in the future.

The poll, for the Financial Times, followed a stark warning from the Bank of England that the economic bad news would 'drag on for some considerable further time yet'.

Bank deputy governor Charlie Bean warned there would be 'difficult social issues' arising from households getting caught in the downturn.

Mr Brown came under pressure from within his own Government to impose a windfall tax on energy firms making excess profits from fuel price rises.

Six Parliamentary Private Secretaries - Rob Marris, Derek Wyatt, Mark Lazarowicz, Stephen Pound, John Robertson and Mary Creagh - signed a petition to Alistair Darling by Left-leaning pressure group Compass, demanding the tax on gas and electricity firms to help hard-up customers. A further six are privately supportive.

But Government sources today said energy firms would simply pass on any tax rise to customers.

Mr Brown, working at home in Scotland today, is preparing his 'autumn fightback' campaign.

His decision to spend more time north of the border reflects his concern the Scottish Nationalist Party is eating into Labour heartlands.

One of his key decisions in the next few days is when to hold the Glenrothes by-election.

He is working on speeches to the TUC and Labour party conferences next month, followed by a pre-Budget report, but the 'fightback' risks being undermined by yet another by-election defeat in a rock-solid Labour heartland.

The threat of a Cabinet reshuffle is being kept in reserve by Mr Brown following speculation that Foreign Secretary David Miliband is prepared to stake his claim to the Labour leadership.

A reshuffle, now expected in October, will revolve around Mr Brown's decision on whether to keep Mr Miliband at the Foreign Office.

Some Brown allies have urged him to make the Minister his Chancellor.