Portillo Poll

Research study conducted for The Mail on Sunday Newspaper - published 12 September 1999MORI interviewed a representative sample of 1,002 adults by telephone aged 18+ across Great Britain on 9-11 September 1999.Data are weighted to the profile of Great Britain.

Q1 How would you vote if there were a General Election tomorrow?(If undecided or refused at Q1)Q2 Which party are you most inclined to support?

Conservative	32%
Labour	49%
Liberal Democrats	13%
Scottish/Welsh Nationalist	3%
Green Party	1%
Democratic/UKIP/Referendum Party	*%
Other	2%
Would not vote	9%
Undecided	8%
Refused	4%

Q3 Who do you think would make the most capable Prime Minister, Mr Blair, Mr Hague or Mr Kennedy, the new leader of the Liberal Democrats?

Blair	50%
Hague	13%
Kennedy	12%
None of these	12%
Don't know	13%

Q4 If there were a General Election tomorrow and the Conservative Party was led by Michael Portillo, how would you vote?(If undecided or refused at Q1)Q5 Which party are you most inclined to support?

Conservative	31%
Labour	48%
Liberal Democrats	13%
Scottish/Welsh Nationalist	2%
Green Party	1%
Democratic/UKIP/Referendum Party	*%
Other	4%
Would not vote	15%
Undecided	4%
Refused	1%

Q6 Thinking about William Hague and Michael Portillo, which one, if either, do you think would make the more capable leader of the Conservative Party?

Hague	34%
Portillo	35%
Someone else/other (named)	2%
Neither	16%
Don't know	13%

Q7 Which of these statements comes closest to your view of Michael Portillo?

I like him and I like his policies	15%
I like him but I dislike his policies	10%
I dislike him but I like his policies	9%
I dislike him and I dislike his policies	29%
Don't know/no opinion	37%

Q8 As you may know, Michael Portillo recently told a newspaper that he had had homosexual relationship several years ago. Do you think he should or should not have made this public?

Should	59%
Should not	24%
Don't know	17%

Q9 How, if at all, does this affect your overall views or impressions of Michael Portillo. Has it made you more favourable towards him, less favourable or has it made no difference?

More favourable	9%
Less favourable	11%
Made no difference	77%
Don't know/no opinion	3%

Q10 As you may know, Michael Portillo is considering standing for selection to be Conservative candidate at the forthcoming by-election in Kensington and Chelsea. Do you think he should or should not stand for selection to be Conservative candidate?

Should	73%
Should not	13%
Don't know	14%

Q11 I am going to read out a number of statements some people have made. For each one, please tell me whether you agree or disagree.

a) I would personally not accept a Prime Minister who is openly homosexual

Strongly agree	22%
Tend to agree	9%
Neither/nor	9%
Tend to disagree	22%
Strongly disagree	37%
Don't know	1%

b) I would personally not accept a Prime Minister who has been homosexual in the past

Strongly agree	13%
Tend to agree	6%
Neither/nor	9%
Tend to disagree	29%
Strongly disagree	40%
Don't know	3%

c) I am less likely to vote Conservative following the revelations about Michael Portillo

Strongly agree	7%
Tend to agree	5%
Neither/nor	18%
Tend to disagree	24%
Strongly disagree	41%
Don't know	3%

d) Regardless of your own view on the issue, do you agree or disagree that it was wrong for Michael Portillo to have voted against lowering the age of consent for homosexuals to 16 when he was an MP?

Strongly agree	25%
Tend to agree	17%
Neither/nor	8%
Tend to disagree	18%
Strongly disagree	24%
Don't know	8%