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Poll says PM is worst option for election
by JOE MURPHY09.06.09
Gordon Brown may be clinging on - but five of his Labour colleagues would be more successful leaders, a poll suggested today.
Alan Johnson, the Home Secretary, would transform Labour's prospects if he took over, and could deprive David Cameron of an overall majority.
Cabinet members Jack Straw, David Miliband and Ed Balls would all be more popular leaders, doing well enough to cut the Tory majority and weaken Mr Cameron as premier.
Even backbencher Jon Cruddas, the popular Dagenham MP, would save Labour from a defeat on the scale that Mr Brown appears to be heading for, the survey by ComRes in today's Independent discovered.
The findings may make some Labour MPs regret their decision to stick with the Prime Minister. The poll found that under Mr Brown's leadership, the Conservative Party would win an overall majority of 74.
But if Mr Johnson took over, the Tories would finish six seats short of a majority in a hung parliament - raising the prospect of a Lib-Lab pact to dictate events.
Under Justice Secretary Mr Straw the Tories would finish with a majority of only 10 in the Commons.
Reader views (4)
EDITED by admin @ 12.39 on July 20 2009
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- Albert Hall, Kettering
The problem is many people have never even listened to Prime Ministers Question time to see how Blair and Brown never answer questions, never read much more than the football news and really have no idea of the issues. If they were aware or when events actually show them how bad things really are going to be as Cameron says they are could be violence could well result on the streets. Instead using their Democratic right right to demand answers from their MP by email, letter, phone or by visinting him at his surgery they do nothing until its right in your face. There is no food because the jobs gone and the car and house is being repossesed. I gave TV talks back in 2004 and 2005 telling everyone how things were going to get. Hundreds responded but in comparison to the population of this country it was a drop in a bucket. Men like Weiss and McCalvany, William Reece Mogg were writing about the situation for decades getting more strident in their writings as the weeks passed, acting like prophets of old.
- Jas, Camberley UK
Jon Cruddus is not even certain to be elected in Dagenham at the next election.
His time is nigh on up!
- Mrs, London UK
It just goes to show how the dumb electorate are influenced by non personalities rather than policy. Do these fools really think if Broon is replaced everything is going to be nice and sunny again?
- Satnam Singh, corby
