Poll for Sun has Tory leader nine points ahead

A new YouGov poll for today’s Sun has Gordon Brown falling even further behind David Cameron to the question “If you had to choose – who do you think would make the better Prime Minister – Gordon Brown or David Cameron”. These were the shares with comparisons on the same question just one week ago. Brown 34 (-2): Cameron 43 (+2)

The Sun seeks to explain Cameron’s lead by noting “This is hardly surprising given the Conservatives hold a seven point lead in our survey.” For the main voting intention survey has with comparisons on last week CON 38 (-2): LAB 31 (-1): LD 18 (+1). So while Labour’s gap is down a point the Brown-Cameron comparison is down four points.

The most significant aspect of the poll is not the data but the extraordinary way the Sun is reporting it. This surely reflects Rupert Murdoch’s view.

Although the detailed data is not available the surveys shows that Brown is a crushing 13 John Reid in the race to succeed the PM and 21 points ahead of Alan Johnson.

Mike Smithson