JUST SAY, NO, TO EUROPE

Poll shows Blair is hurting Labour (Alan Travis, June 24, 2003, The
Guardian)

Tony Blair's personal unpopularity is seriously damaging Labour's poll rating for the first time, according to the results of this month's Guardian/ICM opinion poll.

The June ICM survey shows that the prime minister's popularity has fallen again, and Labour's lead over the Conservatives has plunged from 12 points last month to only four points now - its lowest level since the petrol crisis two and a half years ago.

Last fortnight's fudged euro decision, the botched reshuffle and the row over taxes have hit Labour. It share of the vote is down by three percentage points on the month, to 38%, while the Tories are up by five points, at 34%. The government's four-point lead is its smallest on the Guardian/ICM poll since 2000.

The poll also shows that the government's "not yet" statement on the single currency has proved disastrous for the pro-euro camp, and support for joining the eurozone has fallen to its lowest level since March 2001. According to the monthly ICM/Goldman Sachs tracker poll, support for the euro fell by nine percentage points to only 21%, after the statement by Mr Blair and the chancellor, Gordon Brown.

It continues to mystify us why neither Mr. Blair nor the Tories can figure out that their political fortunes are tied to outright opposition to the EU. Posted by Orrin Judd at June 25, 2003 12:12 AM