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Labour set to lose power

LONDON: In yet another sign of the depth of the political crisis facing Prime Minister Gordon Brown and his party, a new poll on Tuesday showed no matter what the Labour Party does to win back support, its fate is sealed with the Tories set to capture power at the next general election in 2009-2010.

The poll, in the pro-Labour Guardian newspaper, also dealt a blow to those who are plotting to oust Mr. Brown in the hope that with a new leader the party has a better chance of recovery. It suggested a change of leadership would not improve Labour’s prospects with the Tory leader David Cameron 21 points ahead both of Mr. Brown and his putative challenger, Foreign Secretary David Miliband.

“The findings offer plenty of food for thought for those Labour MPs weighing up whether to take action to force Brown out. The poll suggests that Miliband would be no more popular with voters than Brown if he were thrown into a contest with Cameron,” said the Guardian.

Embarrassingly for Mr. Miliband, the very virtues — charisma and youth — that his supporters believe make him a winner evoked a negative response from most voters. Some 41 per cent believed he was “more style than substance” compared to Mr. Brown, with 33 per cent saying he was “more likely to spin” than Mr. Brown.

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