Most Capable Prime Minister - Trends

Public Sector

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

 

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

 

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