The findings of the Populous survey for The Times said today that nearly three fifths of the public (57 per cent) believed that he has run out of steam and is unlikely to achieve anything else as Prime Minister. Half of them (50 per cent) felt he should remain until just before the next election, while fewer than three in ten (28 per cent) felt he should go this year.
Among all voters some 47 per cent, a rise of six points since January, believed that he should step down either now or by the end of this year, the survey said. Just 33 per cent backed his stated policy of staying for most of this parliament and thought he should not go until just before the next election.
Tony Blair says he will stay on
However, among Labour voters there was far less pressure for him to go. Two thirds of Labour voters said there are plenty of things he can still
The survey suggests a growing polarisation about Blair's future. It underlines the impatience of the electorate at large about his performance after weeks of turmoil over the loans-for-peerages row, the paper said.
The findings came after Mr Blair began a spirited fightback from the loans scandal. In hurriedly organised interviews by Downing Street, Blair said the political world expects him to go in 2007, but his own preferred date might be 2008. Blair has privately indicated that he would not leave office until the health service has recovered from its funding crisis, the paper said.
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The Populus survey, taken over the weekend, suggested that despite Labour's problems, the party's support was holding up in the polls. Labour is up one point since early March to 36 per cent and the Tories are down one point at 34 per cent, the paper said. Populus interviewed 1,503 adults between March 31 and April 2. The margin of error is minus three percentage points.
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