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London: Gordon Brown's hopes of winning the next election on the back of an economic recovery were dealt a blow yesterday.
Two out of three voters believe that - even if the economic slowdown is reversed - there are other reasons why it is time for change, says a new poll.
The finding will disappoint many Labour MPs who have been clinging to the belief that if the economy picks up, so will their party's fortunes.
The Populus survey for The Times showed 67 per cent of voters, including 36 who support Labour, agree that "even if the economic situation improves dramatically over the next year or two, there are many other reasons why it is time for a change".
Mr Brown's personal ratings as Prime Minister are also dismal, with 74 per cent of people believing he is a bad one, and just 23 saying he is good.
Losing support of men
He is losing support among working-class voters and men. But his reputation as Chancellor has gone up, with 60 per cent saying he was good, compared with 53 per cent 18 months ago.
A leading Labour MP warned that Mr Cameron, who features on the cover of the latest Time magazine, is connecting with many non-Tory voters by pushing social change, including the areas of work-life balance and the environment.
Dagenham MP Jon Cruddas said his party was hampering its fight against the Conservative revival.
In a pamphlet, Mr Cruddas and academic Jonathan Rutherford, argue, according to The Guardian, that "by jettisoning the language of ethical socialism, [Labour] has lost its capacity to match Cameron's pro-social rhetoric and usurp his claim to value politics.
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