Populus Limited > Poll Archive > Political Attitudes - The Times

Voting Intention

On the basis of your view of the parties at the moment, if there were a general election tomorrow, which party would you vote for? [Change on last month's poll for The Times in brackets]

Labour	37%	(+3%)
Conservative	33%	(-)
Liberal Democrats	20%	(-2%)
Others	10%	(-1%)

The ‘Others' vote of 10% is broken down as follows:

SNP	2%	(-2%)
Plaid Cymru	1%	(-)
UKIP	2%	(-)
Green	2%	(-)
Other Parties	2%	(-)

David Blunkett

Which of the following statements comes closet to your view?

	All	Men	Women	Lab	Tory	Lib Dem	Swing	18-24	25-34	35-44	45-54	55-64	65+
It doesn't matter what politicians do in their private lives as long as it doesn't interfere with how they perform in their jobs.	50%	50%	49%	60%	41%	55%	53%	64%	57%	52%	48%	45%	40%

There has been considerable publicity recently about an affair between David Blunkett the Home Secretary and Kimberly Quinn, a married woman. I am going to read out some of the specific allegations made about Mr Blunkett's conduct – please say in each case if you think it is serious allegation or not.

Serious Allegration? (All voters)	Very Serious	Quite Serious	Not serious
misuses his position to help lover's nanny get a visa to stay in Britain	37%	32%	25%
had an affair with a married woman	18%	24%	53%
let lover use MP's rail pass & travel in govt. car	28%	38%	30%
legal case to gain access rights to son	21%	29%	43%

Serious Allegation (% saying 'very serious' or 'serious'	All	Men	Women	Lab	Tory	Lib Dem	Swing	18-24	25-34	35-44	45-54	55-64	65+
misuses his position to help lover's nanny get a visa to stay in Britain	69%	67%	70%	58%	83%	68%	72%	73%	75%	72%	72%	67%	67%
had an affair with a married woman	42%	43%	42%	34%	49%	37%	42%	55%	41%	38%	37%	36%	48%
let lover use MP's rail pass & travel in govt. car	66%	65%	67%	57%	79%	66%	69%	67%	67%	66%	69%	67%	62%
legal case to gain access rights to son	50%	49%	51%	45%	65%	42%	48%	64%	49%	53%	48%	40%	49%

There has been considerable publicity recently about an affair between David Blunkett the Home Secretary and Kimberly Quinn, a married woman. I am going to read out some of the specific allegations made about Mr Blunkett's conduct – please say in each case if you think it should be grounds for him to resign or not.

A RESIGNING ISSUE ? (All voters) Grounds to resign
Not grounds to resign misuses his position to help lover's nanny get a visa to stay in Britain	41%	54%
had an affair with a married woman	18%	77%
Let lover use MP's rail pass & travel in govt. car	28%	67%
legal case to gain access rights to son	13%	82%

A Resigning Issue (% saying 'very serious' or 'serious')	All	Men	Women	Lab	Tory	Lib Dem	Swing	18-24	25-34	35-44	45-54	55-64	65+
misuses his position to help lover's nanny get a visa to stay in Britain	41%	46%	36%	28%	60%	39%	42%	42%	34%	46%	49%	40%	36%
had an affair with a married woman	18%	21%	16%	11%	26%	17%	17%	16%	12%	21%	19%	15%	26%
let lover use MP's rail pass & travel in govt. car	28%	30%	26%	19%	37%	23%	26%	23%	22%	26%	33%	25%	35%
legal case to gain access rights to son	13%	14%	12%	8%	19%	10%	11%	20%	9%	9%	16%	13%	15%

As a result of this story do you think that (i) David Blunkett personally and (ii) the government as a whole has more integrity than you thought or less integrity than you thought, or has it made no real difference to your view?

DAVID BLUNKETT'S INTEGRITY	All	Men	Women	Lab	Tory	Lib Dem	Swing	18-24	25-34	35-44	45-54	55-64	65+
More than I thought	6%	7%	6%	9%	4%	7%	6%	4%	8%	4%	8%	5%	9%
Less than i thought	31%	33%	28%	27%	40%	36%	31%	22%	22%	38%	36 %	34%	30%
No difference	60%	58%	61%	61%	53%	56%	59%	68%	67%	55%	54%	58%	58%

Government's Intergrity	All	Men	Women	Lab	Tory	Lib Dem	Swing	18-24	25-34	35-44	45-54	55-64	65+
	More than I thought	6%	7%	5%	7%	8%	7% -6%	11%	4%	5%	5%	6%	7%
Less than i thought	26%	28%	24%	15% -	45%	27%	27%	22%	27%	27%	22 %	29%	30%
No difference	65%	63%	66%	76%	47%	63%	63%	65%	65%	65%	73%	63%	59%

Tax Spending & the Economy

Which of the following statements comes closest to your view?

BRITAINS' ECONOMY...	All	Men	Women	Labour	Tory	Lib Dem	Swing	AB	C1	C2	DE
strong enough for the govt to increase spending on public services further without tax rises	47%	49%	45%	55%	40%	38%	48%	40%	48%	55%	44%
Cannot afford further increases in public spending without higher taxes	47%	47%	47%	42%	59%	57%	48%	55%	47%	40%	48%

If, after the next election, whichever party was in power faced a choice between raising taxes and cutting spending, which would you prefer to see them do?

	All	Men	Women	Labour	Tory	Lib Dem	Swing	AB	C1	C2	DE
Raise taxes	26%	29%	23%	36%	16%	38%	23%	31%	27%	18%	25%
Cut spending	63%	61%	66%	55%	75%	56%	69%	58%	61%	74%	63%

If, after the next election, whichever party was in power found big savings by cutting wasteful spending, would you prefer to see that money used to pay for tax cuts or increased spending on public services?

	All	Men	Women	Labour	Tory	Lib Dem	Swing	AB	C1	C2	DE
Cut taxes	29%	30%	28%	24%	38%	21%	31%	23%	29%	33%	30%
Increase spending on public services	68%	69%	68%	75%	60%	78%	67%	74%	69%	65%	65%

Thinking ahead to the period after the next general election, do you expect that taxes will go up, or stay about the same or be cut if Labour is re-elected?

	All	Men	Women	Labour	Tory	Lib Dem	Swing	AB	C1	C2	DE
Taxes will rise	71%	74%	69%	55%	90%	85%	70%	72%	70%	74%	70%
Taxes will be cut	3%	3%	3%	7%	3%	0%	6%	2%	3%	6%	2%
Taxes will stay the same	19%	19%	19%	35%	7%	10%	18%	20%	21%	15%	19%
Don't know	7%	3%	10%	3%	0%	5%	6%	5%	6%	6%	9%

And what if the Conservatives are elected?

	All	Men	Women	Labour	Tory	Lib Dem	Swing	AB	C1	C2	DE
Taxes will rise	48%	48%	49%	55%	32%	57%	47%	48%	41%	51%	53%
Taxes will be cut	13%	14%	12%	16%	23%	16%	10%	13%	15%	11%	11%
Taxes will stay the same	26%	30%	22%	17%	39%	17%	29%	27%	31%	26%	21%
Don't know	13%	9%	17%	12%	6%	12%	14%	11%	12%	12%	15%

Which of the following is closest to your view?

	All	Men	Women	Lab	Tory	Lib Dem	Swing	AB	C1	C2	DE
Britain's economy is doing well- largely because of Gordon Brown's policies	32%	37%	28%	64%	13%	19%	32%	37%	27%	35%	32%
Britain's economy is doing well & that is not much to do with Gordon Brown's policy	32%	34%	31%	20%	44%	32%	37%	36%	33%	35%	24 %
Britain's economy is not doing well - largely because of Gordon Brown's policies	11%	11%	12%	3%	20%	17%	10%	8%	12%	11%	14%
Britain's economy is not doing well & that is not much to do with Gordon Brown's policies	16%	14%	17%	9%	19%	22%	12%	13%	17%	13%	19 %

Likeabilty of Leading Politicians

Do they have a likeable personality? [% saying yes] All	Men	Women	Lab	Tory	Lib Dem	Swing	AB	C1	C2	DE
Gordon Brown	50%	48%	53%	65%	41%	52%	53%	52%	46%	46%	56%
Tony Blair	49%	47%	51%	81%	36%	37%	53%	48%	50%	47%	50%
Michael Howard	36%	38%	34%	30%	61%	35%	32%	44%	33%	36%	32%
Charles Kennedy	50%	54%	46%	50%	53%	84%	52%	56%	51%	46%	45%

Christmas

In total, how much do you expect to spend on Christmas presents this year? [Last year's average spending in brackets]

	All	Men	Women	AB	C1	C2	DE
Up to £100	12%	12%	13%	12%	15%	4%	17%
£100 - £200	13%	13%	14%	16%	8%	10%	21%
£201 - £300	14%	13%	15%	12%	12%	20%	14%
£301- £500	23%	24%	22%	23%	24%	24%	20%
£501 - £750	9%	10%	9%	7%	11%	10%	5%
£750 - £1,000	8%	8%	6%	10%	7%	13%	5%
More than £1,000	7%	10%	6%	8%	10%	6%	3%

Age Breakdown

	18-24	25-34	35-44	45-54	55-64	65+
Up to £100	19%	5%	5%	14%	15%	20%
£100 - £200	13%	13%	9%	12%	10%	21%
£201 - £300	19%	14%	16%	8%	14%	16%
£301- £500	15%	34%	21%	24%	27%	15
£501 - £750	2%	10%	11%	10%	12%	4%
£750 - £1,000	11%	11%	12%	11%	3%	2%
More than £1,000	5%	5%	14%	8%	5%	3%

Regional

	GB	South East	Midlands	North	Wales & SW	Scotland
Average	£412.26 [£425.03]	£389.16 [£385.49]	£398.87 [£386.15]	£451.79 [£486.86]	£404.58 [£447.17]	£416.34 [£448.34]

I am going to read out some things that are associated with Christmas. Please say in each case if it is something you will do this Christmas?

	All	Men	Women	AB	C1	C2	DE
Send round robin letter with family news with Christmas cards	15%	13%	16%	12%	11%	15%	20%
Go carol singing locally	16%	14%	17%	19%	15%	14%	13%
Watch the Queen's Christmas day broadcast	46%	45%	47%	43%	46%	39%	54%
Give up Christmas tip to any or all of your postman, dustman or milkman	62%	61%	63%	66%	60%	60%	61%

Age Breakdown

	18-24	25-34	35-44	45-54	55-64	65+
Send round robin letter with family news with Christmas cards	14%	12%	9%	13%	21%	19%
Go carol singing locally	9%	26%	8%	12%	21%	15%
Watch the Queen's Christmas day broadcast	33%	36%	36%	44%	56%	68%
Give up Christmas tip to any or all of your postman, dustman or milkman	44%	61%	56%	69%	68%	68%