Brit Govt’s support dramatically down, claims Guardian Poll

LONDON - Support for Britain’s first peacetime coalition in 70 years has fallen dramatically since Prime Minister David Cameron and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg launched the government in the Downing Street last May, according to the latest Guardian/ICM poll.

The Guardian quoted the findings of the poll as saying that after six months of Conservative-LibDem rule, 47 percent of Britons do not think that coalition government was the right decision for the country, while only 43 percent said in favour of it.

In May, in answer to a slightly differently worded question, 59 percent backed the coalition while 32 percent disagreed with the decision to form it.

There is a mixed picture for Clegg and Cameron among their party’s supporters in the poll, which was carried out before Christmas. A slim majority of Lib Dem voters still support the coalition. Among people who voted Lib Dem last May, 46 percent now think the coalition was a mistake, while 47 percent remain in favour.

The poll further said that Cameron could take comfort from continued strong Tory backing for coalition rule as 76 percent think forming the coalition was the right thing to do.

It also suggested that signs of economic recovery in 2010 have not persuaded voters that the worst is over. Ahead of next month’s rise in VAT to 20 percent, many people are preparing to cut spending while almost half, 45 percent say the change will make no difference. Thirty-eight percent claim they will spend less and a further 17 percent say they will spend more.

On being asked about the party leaders, only 12 percent thought Clegg’s prospects would improve in 2011, against 47 percent who think he will have a worse year. For David Cameron, 23 percent think 2011 will be better and 36 percent worse. (ANI)