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PoliticsHome Polls

PoliticsHome Polls

Public opinion today

Darling wins on personality

As the parties prepare for the televised chancellors' debate, the government incumbent has the edge over the Tory hopeful

We have seen what happens when voters are asked directly who they would prefer as Chancellor from a full list of candidates: Vince Cable wins. PoliticsHome published the results to that research last week.

But what happens if you remove Vince Cable from the list, and ask the respondent to state a preference for the man, instead of the party or policy? The question may be increasingly important, as the parties are closer on the economy than the rhetoric from either side would suggest.

No we know: voters would prefer Labour’s Alistair Darling to the Conservatives' George Osborne as chancellor on the basis of personality.

When the public are asked to choose between the two men, to the exclusion of all other candidates and putting aside their parties and policies, Darling has the backing of 37 per cent, while 31 per cent support Osborne.

An earlier poll by PoliticsHome suggested that Vince Cable (not included in this poll) was the public's preferred choice for chancellor. 

Thinking about the men rather than their policies or parties, if you had to choose between Alistair Darling or George Osborne as chancellor, who would it be?


PoliticsHome interviewed 1,009 adults by email from 26-29 March.  Results are weighted by age, gender and political party identification to reflect the population of Great Britain.

Leave a comment...

christina speight

What a daft question! Nobody should be asked to choose as Chancellor on the basis of personality. Why not ask "Who has the lovelier smile?" or "Who would be better in bed?". Darling has just produced a totally irrelevant partisan budget which doesn't begin to tackle our debts and in addition is pushing for a direct tax on jobs to push up unemployment.

Cole

But just who are these idiots that would trust Osborne with their money?

Red Rag

31% for Osborne, are there really that many fund and hedge managers in the country?.....http://www.redrag1.blogspot.com/

statechaos

Oh well that's it then, the answer to all our economic woes is 'personality'. So was it Gordon Brown's lack of personality which got us into this economic mess in the first place? Next thing, after the Leaders debates we'll have a BBC show called 'You could be Chancellor' with Andrew Lloyd-Webber as chief judge. The Federation of Small Businesses have welcomed Osbornes proposals, and the CBI view it as 'positive'. If the best that Cable and Darling can attack with is 'schoolboy economics' and cries of novice they should take a look at where so-called experience has got us. Darling has got so many forecasts wrong he might as well work for the Met office.

statechaos

Oh well that's it then, the answer to all our economic woes is 'personality'. So was it Gordon Brown's lack of personality which got us into this economic mess in the first place? Next thing, after the Leaders debates we'll have a BBC show called 'You could be Chancellor' with Andrew Lloyd-Webber as chief judge. The Federation of Small Businesses have welcomed Osbornes proposals, and the CBI view it as 'positive'. If the best that Cable and Darling can attack with is 'schoolboy economics' and cries of novice they should take a look at where so-called experience has got us. Darling has got so many forecasts wrong he might as well work for the Met office.

J A BROWN

No one man makes a party. Osborne did well tonight and resisted jibes from the playground. He looks cool and does not get drawn and is the sensible head we need. He is never going to be Mr Charisma but has the right attributes to sort out the mess we have inherited. Darling and Cable played the circus, Osborne showed restraint and he will now get my vote in the important poll the GE. If this is the quality of questions and polls that this site offers they will not be placed on my favourites list. Well done George you raised your self above the pantomine created by the other two.

J A BROWN

Seems William Hills have decided who is competent as based on the punters See below :- Who Will Deliver The First Budget Of The Next UK Govt? - 31 Mar 10 ( General Election Specials )Selection Odds George Osborne 2/5 Vince Cable 7/1 Alistair Darling 8/1 Ed Balls 10/1 Philip Hammond 16/1 Ed Milliband 20/1 Michael Gove 20/1 David Milliband 25/1 Yvette Cooper 33/1 Alan Johnson 33/1 William Hague 50/1

RE

Well, all I can say is the PH audience is pathetically deluded - just like the government. No way did Darling do better than Osborne. Osborne was streets ahead. But never mind you will all face reality on May 7th.

ordinarypersonwhodoesntmattertothem

I'm still laughing at the idea anyone thinks that osbourne HAS a personality XD

ordinarypersonwhodoesntmattertothem
  • 00:28 |
  • 30 Mar 2010
  • 0

I'm still laughing at the idea anyone thinks that osbourne HAS a personality XD


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