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Nearly two-thirds of people think the Labour Party has got worse since Gordon Brown took over, according to an opinion poll carried out by ORB for ´óÏó´«Ã½ Two's Newsnight.

When asked whether their opinion of the Labour Party had gone up, gone down, or remained the same since Gordon Brown took over as Prime Minister in June 2007, 62% of those polled said their opinion had gone down, 31% said their opinion had remained the same and only 7% said their opinion of Labour had gone up.

Even amongst those polled who voted Labour in 2005, a majority, 55%, said their opinion of the party had gone down with just 8% saying their opinion had gone up and 37% saying their opinion had remained the same.

When just those who intended to vote Labour at the next General Election were asked for their reasons, less than a fifth, 19%, said their vote was mainly for Gordon Brown. About the same said their vote was mainly a vote against David Cameron and the Conservatives (20%). The majority though (56%) said they would vote for Labour on the record of the Labour Party.

Overall, two-thirds of people (67%) did not approve of the way the Prime Minister was handling his job, with less than a third, 29%, saying they approved.

One of the few areas in which those polled see little difference between Gordon Brown and David Cameron is on who would stand up for the NHS – 34% of those asked said Gordon Brown and Labour, with 33% saying the Conservatives and 13% the Liberal Democrats.

On the issue of who will stand up for ordinary people in an economic crisis, Labour and Conservatives were also neck and neck – 31% said Gordon Brown and 30% David Cameron, with 18% saying Nick Clegg.

But asked who they would trust more to fix the economy, those polled gave David Cameron a slight lead with 35% saying the Conservatives and 32% saying the Labour Party and Gordon Brown; 11% said Nick Clegg.

The opinion poll is part of an exercise conducted for ´óÏó´«Ã½ Two's Newsnight for the party conference season.

Newsnight has invited American pollster Cornell Belcher to find out what the public in the UK make of their politicians. His third film focussing on opinions towards Gordon Brown and the Labour Party was broadcast on last night's Newsnight (Monday 28 September).

A further film will broadcast next week focusing on the Conservatives.

Cornell Belcher employs many of the polling techniques he developed when working for the Democratic Party and Barack Obama ahead of last year's Presidential election.

On his first visit to Britain, Belcher was teamed up with British pollster Johnny Heald and his research company ORB who carried out the polling and organised the focus groups on behalf of Belcher.

As well as the opinion poll, he has conducted focus groups in marginal seats.

Notes to Editors

The results are taken from a telephone poll conducted by ORB amongst a nationally representative sample of 1,056 UK adults aged 18+.

Interviews were carried out throughout England, Scotland and Wales. Fieldwork took place from 11 to 14 September 2009.

Data has been demographically and political weighted to be representative of the population.

ORB is a member of the British Polling Council.

Poll findings

Q: Which of the following three statements best describes why you will vote or are leaning towards the Labour Party in the General Election.

All respondents who intend to vote Labour Base: 256
My vote is mainly a vote against David Cameron and the Conservative Party 20%
My vote is mainly for Gordon Brown 19%
My vote is mainly for the record of the Labour Party 56%
None of these 5%
Don't know/refused 1%

Q: Do you approve or disapprove of the way in which Gordon Brown is handling his job as Prime Minister?

All respondents Base: 1056
Approve 29%
Disapprove 67%
Don't know/refused 4%

Q: Now I'm going to read you some phrases and characteristics other people we have interviewed have used to describe the political parties in the UK. For each phrase or characteristic, please tell me whether you think each is a better description of...?

All Sample A Respondents: Base 514

Gordon Brown and the Labour Party
Will stand up for the NHS 34%
Trust more to fix the economy 32%

David Cameron and the Conservative Party
Will stand up for the NHS 33%
Trust more to fix the economy 35%

Nick Clegg and the Liberal Democrats
Will stand up for the NHS 13%
Trust more to fix the economy 11%

None of them
Will stand up for the NHS 9%
Trust more to fix the economy 15%

Don't know
Will stand up for the NHS 10%
Trust more to fix the economy 7%

Q: Has your opinion of the Labour Party gone up, gone down, or remained the same since Gordon Brown took over as Prime Minister in June 2007?

All respondents Base: 1,056

Gone up 7%
Remained the same 31%
Gone down 62%

Those who voted Labour in 2005 - Base: 294
Gone up 8%
Remained the same 37%
Gone down 55%

Any use of information in this release must credit ´óÏó´«Ã½'s Two's Newsnight.

PH