Leadership Question Mark 2007, 2008, 2009

In the past week several backbench MPs have been calling for a vote of no confidence in the leadership. They have been unhappy at his modernisation of the party. Due to popular (or rather unpopular!) demand William Hill opened a book on who would be the next leader.

Except this was all about the Conservative leader, David Cameron back in 2007.

Meanwhile, YouGov’s monthly poll for the Telegraph back then had voting intention figures, with changes from YouGov’s last poll, of CON 32%(-1), LAB 41%(+1), LDEM 16%(+1).

UK Polling Report who look at these things said:

"...there is still a sharp difference between positive opinions of Gordon Brown, who enjoys a net approval rating of plus 7 as Prime Minister, and negative opinions of the government, whose net approval rating is at minus 25. It’s been a lot lower (at some points in the last year it reached minus 43)... The obvious explanation is that Labour’s positive position in the polls at the moment is based on Gordon Brown, he hasn’t yet transferred that popularity onto the government or the Labour party."

Can such a catastrophic fall from grace be based on any rational and objective analysis of the man, his government, policies and performance. Sure mistakes have been made but add a dash of "media character assassination" and a "vilification of the prime minister on his first anniversary [that] is grotesque" and so he becomes the most unpopular leader since [insert odious leader of choice from any time in the history of the world here].

As, Simon Jenkins wrote in no piece of flattery, back in June 2008 "The psychological abuse now being heaped on Gordon Brown is beyond reason".

It must be that time of year again!

Some commentators have suggested that the Tories should be doing better.

So what are the lessons to be learned from all this? Stick with your leader, unite and you too could be as popular as David Cameron.