Voters say Blair is a letdown

TONY BLAIR has been a disappointing prime minister and most people think he should step down before the next election, an opinion poll for The Sunday Times reveals.

The poll, carried out on Thursday and Friday by YouGov, the online polling specialist, shows widespread disenchantment with Blair’s leadership. Coming at a time when Labour MPs have begun talking openly about a challenge to him, it shows that he faces serious problems.

Asked about how they rated Blair’s prime ministership, 54% of the 2,277 respondents said he had been a disappointment. Only 21% believed he had performed better than they had expected. Disappointment was greatest among male voters and Tory and Liberal Democrat supporters — but a third of Labour voters said Blair had been a letdown.

Asked how long Blair should carry on as prime minister, 20% said he should step down now and 43% thought he should go at the next election.