March 25, 2007	Sunday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 5, 1428

LONDON, March 24: Britain's finance minister Gordon Brown has failed to convince the electorate that he will make a good prime minister if and when he takes over from Tony Blair, a poll in The Times said Saturday.

A Populus poll conducted hours after Brown's 11th, and likely final, budget to parliament on Wednesday suggested his popularity had fallen since the question was last asked.

Only 30 per cent said they thought Brown would make a good prime minister -- 10 per cent fewer than in December last year -- with 57 percent saying he would not be a good premier, up eight percentage points on the last time around.

Brown's control of the nation's finances also took a knock: 53 percent said he had been a good chancellor of the exchequer -- four percent fewer than in December -- while 38 per cent said he had not been (up two per cent).

And there was scepticism on the budget itself: despite Brown announcing tax cuts, 48 percent said they would not make any difference; 26 per cent believed they would pay more tax; while only 11 per cent said they would pay less.

A majority of 60 percent said the measures had made no difference to the way they would vote in the next general election, which is due before 2010 at the latest, although 2009 is being seen as a likely date.

Only eight percent said Brown had convinced them to vote Labour at the next election; while 26 per cent said he had had the opposite effect.

Brown, who has been chancellor for nearly 10 years, is widely expected to take over as Labour party leader when Tony Blair steps down in the coming months.

As the head of the biggest party in parliament, he automatically becomes prime minister, without a general election having to be called.

But recent surveys suggest Brown and the governing Labour Party are losing ground to the main opposition Conservative Party, partly due to disaffection with Blair's administration but also Brown's less media-friendly image.

Criticism of his management style has also resurfaced, with Britain's former top civil servant accusing Brown this week of displaying “Stalinist ruthlessness” in dealings with colleagues.

Populus interviewed 1,025 adults across Britain on Wednesday and Thursday.—AFP