Most Capable Prime Minister - Trends

Q Who do you think would make the most capable Prime Minister?

8 May 2015

Q Who do you think would make the best Prime Minister …(list of names)? (Base: c. 1,000-2,000 GB adults aged 18+)

1979	Mr Callaghan	Mrs Thatcher	Don't know
	%	%	%
1-2 April 1979*	42	40	18
8-9 April 1979*	47	39	14
16-17 April 1979*	45	37	18
21-23 April 1979*	46	33	21
26 April 1979*	50	31	19
August 1979†	44	38	18
September 1979†	43	37	20
October 1979†	44	38	19
21 November - 2 December 1979†	44	37	18

*Question wording April 1979: Who do you think would make the better Prime Minister, Mr Callaghan or Mrs Thatcher?

†Question wording August-December 1979: Who do you think would make the better Prime Minister, Mrs Thatcher or Mr Callaghan?

1980	Mr Callaghan	Mrs Thatcher	Don't know
	%	%	%
January 1980†	39	38	22
February 1980†	42	35	22
March 1980†	46	35	17
April 1980†	42	38	20

†Question wording 1980: Who do you think would make the better Prime Minister, Mrs Thatcher or Mr Callaghan?

1983	Mrs Thatcher	Mr Foot	Mr Steel	Mr Jenkins	Don't know
	%	%	%	%	%
21-25 April 1983	45	14	23	7	11
17-18 May 1983	48	16	20	7	9
24-25 May 1983	48	16	22	7	6
1-3 June 1983	46	15	25	6	6

Q Who do you think would make the most capable Prime Minister …(list of names)? (Base: c. 1,000-2,000 GB adults aged 18+)

1987	Mrs Thatcher	Mr Kinnock	Mr Steel	Mr Owen	No opinion
	%	%	%	%	%
12-14 May 1987	46	21	10	13	11
20-21 May 1987	46	24	9	12	9
27-28 May 1987	48	26	9	13	7
3-4 June 1987	45	27	8	13	7

1992	John Major	Neil Kinnock	Paddy Ashdown	None of these / Don't know
	%	%	%	%
11-12 March 1992	40	27	22	11
16 March 1992	42	28	20	10
30 March 1992	38	29	21	12
7-8 April 1992	38	27	20	16

1997	John Major	Tony Blair	Paddy Ashdown	None of these / Don't know
	%	%	%	%
1 April 1997	22	46	14	18
8 April 1997	27	35	14	24
15 April 1997	25	35	15	25
22 April 1997	26	38	19	17
29 April 1997	23	40	15	21

2001	William Hague	Tony Blair	Charles Kennedy	None of these / Don't know
	%	%	%	%
8 May 2001	13	52	9	26
15 May 2001	12	52	9	27
22 May 2001	14	51	10	25
29 May 2001	16	50	11	23
5 June 2001	14	51	14	21

2003	Iain Duncan Smith	Tony Blair	Charles Kennedy	None of these / Don't know
	%	%	%	%
26-27 June 2003	15	35	18	32
11-16 September 2003	15	42	18	25

2004	Michael Howard	Tony Blair	Charles Kennedy	None of these / Don't know
	%	%	%	%
30 July - 1 August 2004	21	32	18	29

2005	Michael Howard	Tony Blair	Gordon Brown	Charles Kennedy	None	Don't know
		%	%	%	%	%
20-24 January 2005	17	39		17		27
20-24 January 2005		35	39			25
1-3 April 2005	22	36		14		28
7-11 April 2005		33	41			26
3-4 May 2005	21	40		16		23
29-30 September 2005		39	42			20
	David Cameron
9-12 December 2005	27		31	13	11	18

2006	David Cameron	Gordon Brown	John Reid	Sir Menzies Campbell	Other	None	Don't know
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%
16-21 March 2006	26	35		9			30
11-13 August 2006	24	31		11		34
17-18 November 2006		36	22		2	18	21

2007	David Cameron	Gordon Brown	Sir Menzies Campbell	None	Don't know
	%	%	%	%	%
14-20 June 2007	22	40	5	14	19
14-20 September 2007	17	58		17	8
10 October 2007	29	45		16	9

2008	David Cameron	Gordon Brown	Neither	Don't know
	%	%	%	%
9-10 January 2008	33	37	17	12

2009	David Cameron	Gordon Brown	Nick Clegg	None	Don't know
	%	%	%	%	%
25-27 September 2009	41	24	16	14	5

2010	David Cameron	Gordon Brown	Nick Clegg	None	Don't know
	%	%	%	%	%
19-22 February 2010	38	29	12	12	8
23 April 2010	32	28	17	-	23
5 May 2010	33	29	19	-	19
	David Cameron	David Miliband	Ed Miliband	Nick Clegg	Don't know
10-12 September 2010*	50		19	12	19
10-12 September 2010*	49	22		10	19

*In September 2010, half the sample were asked to compare Cameron and Clegg with David Miliband and half with Ed Miliband. Base for each version c. 500 GB adults aged 18+.

2011	David Cameron	Ed Miliband	Nick Clegg	None	Don't know
	%	%	%	%	%
15-17 April 2011	45	25	7	-	25

2015	David Cameron	Ed Miliband	Nick Clegg	None	Don't know
	%	%	%	%	%
5-6 May 2015	42	27	6	-	25

	Theresa May	Jeremy Corbyn	None / neither	Don't know
	%	%	%	%
21-25 April 2017	61	23	6	7
15-17 May 2017	56	29	7	6
30 May - 1 June 2017	50	35	6	8
6 June - 7 June 2017	47	36	7	8
14 - 18 July 2017	46	38	8	5
14-18 September 2018	46	37	12	4

	Boris Johnson	Jeremy Corbyn	None / neither	Don't know
	%	%	%	%
June 2019	51	33	11	4
July 2019	52	27	14	6
Sept 2019	50	29	16	3
Nov 2019	49	30	14	5
6 Dec 2019	47	31	13	6
11 Dec 2019	43	29	19	6

	Boris Johnson	Keir Starmer	None / neither	Don't know
	%	%	%	%
June 2020	43	38	5	12
March 2021	47	37	6	9
September 2021	38	39	13	9
December 2021	31	44	13	10
January 2022	31	49	12	9
July 2022	31	51	9	9

	Liz Truss	Keir Starmer	None / neither	Don't know
	%	%	%	%
September 2022	36	40	11	13

	Rishi Sunak	Keir Starmer	No difference / neither/ other	Don't know
	%	%	%	%
November 2022	41	35	11	13
January 2023	33	39	13	15
March 2023	37	36	17	10
May 2023	34	33	19	13
July 2023	31	36	20	13
Sept 2023	32	36	21	11
Oct 2023	31	35	20	14
Jan 2024	26	39	19	17
Apr 2024	22	44	24	10
31 May - 4 Jun 2024	22	46	23	10
21-24 Jun 2024	21	46	22	10
1-3 Jul 2024	21	36	31	12

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