Labour Leader Image

Published:1 June 2010
Fieldwork:1981 - 2010
Theme:Politicians & Parties
Sub-Theme:Party and Leader Image Trends
Keywords:Gordon Brown, John Smith, Leader image, Michael Foot, Neil Kinnock, Party leaders, Tony Blair
(Click on keywords to find related Research)

Q Here is a list of things both favourable and unfavourable that have been said about various politicians. I would like you to pick out all those statements that you feel fit Mr Foot /Mr Kinnock / Mr Smith / Mr Blair/ Mr Brown.

A capable leader
Good in a crisis
Understands world problems
Tends to talk down to people
Rather narrow minded
Too inflexible
Has sound judgment
More honest than most politicians
Down-to-earth
Understands the problems facing Britain
Patriotic
Has got a lot of personality
Rather inexperienced
Out of touch with ordinary people

(List did not include all descriptions in all surveys before 1985, and "trustworthy" was added in some surveys, as indicated in the tables)

Base: c. 1,000 – 2,000 British adults 18+

  Cap Cri Wor Tlk Nar Inf Jud Hon Ear Bri Pat Per Ine Out Tru
  % % % % % % % % % % % % % % %
Jun 1981 18 - - 12 12 - - 22 23 29 - 11 9 12 -
May 1982 9 4 17 8 24 12 9 17 16 19 - 9 17 22 9
Jan 1983 11 5 20 8 21 14 10 19 22 25 - 7 14 17 12
Apr 1983 17 8 29 9 25 17 15 28 26 34 - 9 15 17 18
May 1983 21 9 36 13 27 18 17 27 29 41 - 12 15 20 20
General Election 9 June 1983

Mr Kinnock

  Cap Cri Wor Dow Nar Inf Jud Hon Ear Bri Pat Per Ine Out
  % % % % % % % % % % % % % %
Nov 1983 24 8 16 5 9 8 15 18 n/a 23 n/a 30 31 5
Mar 1984 30 12 23 8 12 9 20 27 n/a 29 38 35 38 7
Sep 1984 15 5 12 6 14 10 11 19 25 24 n/a 22 49 8
Feb 1985 17 7 14 7 14 11 10 23 24 20 15 18 41 10
Oct 1985 27 9 13 6 10 8 15 24 31 28 13 26 32 7
Nov 1986 26 7 14 7 12 9 13 23 28 27 13 23 31 8
Jan 1987 21 5 15 7 12 9 11 21 27 26 15 23 32 11
Apr 1987 15 4 14 9 15 11 6 18 24 23 15 17 37 13
May 1987 31 12 30 9 21 18 20 29 45 43 35 36 43 12
Jun 1987 34 12 31 11 24 19 24 29 43 45 35 38 48 13
General Election 11 June 1987
Oct 1987 21 7 18 8 16 11 12 21 29 27 19 27 33 9
Jan 1988 22 6 18 8 14 11 12 23 29 29 20 24 32 8
Oct 1988 21 7 19 7 17 14 11 25 32 27 20 22 34 10
Mar 1989 20 6 18 8 17 15 11 24 32 28 23 21 36 11
Sep 1989 24 7 23 9 14 13 14 24 35 31 22 24 32 10
Feb 1990 24 6 20 7 14 11 12 24 33 33 19 23 35 9
Sep 1990 24 8 22 7 13 11 13 23 36 32 21 23 33 8
Feb 1991 23 7 20 11 19 14 12 18 29 31 20 18 20 11
Sep 1991 19 8 19 17 23 17 11 15 27 28 18 16 23 14
Feb 1992 22 7 18 16 21 17 11 16 32 33 20 19 24 14
18-19 Mar 1992 37 15 31 22 24 23 21 22 40 46 32 33 28 13
1-2 Apr 1992 36 14 31 24 27 23 21 20 39 47 31 31 29 18
General Election 9 April 1992

Mr Smith

  Cap Cri Wor Dow Nar Inf Jud Hon Ear Bri Pat Per Ine Out
  % % % % % % % % % % % % % %
Jul 1992 19 6 11 6 6 5 14 15 21 21 11 12 14 5
Sep 1992 25 7 15 5 6 6 17 17 23 25 10 14 26 5
Feb 1993 22 6 15 8 10 10 14 17 24 31 12 11 29 9
Mar 1993 22 7 16 7 11 9 15 19 24 31 11 11 25 9
Jul 1993 23 8 16 8 9 7 16 17 25 29 12 13 25 10
Feb 1994 23 8 15 9 10 9 17 20 27 28 13 11 21 11

Mr Blair

  Cap Cri Wor Dow Nar Inf Jud Hon Ear Bri Pat Per Ine Out
  % % % % % % % % % % % % % %
Sep 1994 19 4 10 5 3 2 10 16 16 24 8 25 29 6
Feb 1995 28 7 14 9 5 5 14 22 18 31 12 26 36 7
Sep 1995 26 6 13 12 8 8 13 20 19 29 11 30 36 10
Feb 1996 30 7 14 11 6 6 15 19 19 30 11 27 29 9
Oct 1996 33 9 20 11 7 7 19 20 22 34 16 33 27 9
Mar 1997 39 9 17 12 7 6 19 20 23 36 14 35 35 10
General Election 1 May 1997
Oct 1997 58 18 31 9 3 6 27 36 37 48 26 50 19 6
Apr 1998 53 25 37 13 5 7 24 29 29 44 26 42 20 13
Oct 1998 47 21 37 12 6 10 20 26 28 40 24 40 17 18
Apr 1999 51 33 38 18 6 10 26 27 24 37 29 37 12 16
Oct 1999 44 23 28 23 10 11 15 21 19 34 17 32 8 24
Apr 2000 43 20 28 23 11 16 17 20 20 31 20 32 9 27
Sep 2000 29 12 19 37 21 29 12 16 13 22 17 21 12 54
Apr 2001 33 15 22 25 15 16 13 17 18 25 15 24 11 36
General Election 7 June 2001
Nov 2001 51 44 39 19 9 11 22 25 25 33 27 28 6 28
Sep 2003 30 23 23 24 17 19 10 8 11 20 17 23 4 43
Sep 2004 30 20 19 22 17 20 6 11 13 20 16 22 5 44
Apr 2005 34 19 24 27 15 20 9 10 15 25 16 25 3 36
General Election 5 May 2005
Sep 2006 25 17 21 29 18 28 8 8 10 20 16 22 3 51

The same question asked about Gordon Brown (before he became leader)

Mr Brown

  Cap Cri Wor Dow Nar Inf Jud Hon Ear Bri Pat Per Ine Out
  % % % % % % % % % % % % % %
May 2010 (immediately post resignation)  22 21
28
22
16
21
12
15
14
30
20
3
3
28


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