U.K. Labour Party Would Benefit Without Gordon Brown, Poll Says

Fifty percent of those questioned by the polling company agreed with the statement that Labour “would have greater appeal” without Brown. The poll showed 42 percent disagreed. The survey of 1,003 adults was conducted Jan. 6 and Jan. 7 as Brown faced a challenge to his leadership.

The Cabinet suppressed the rebellion by two former ministers who sought a secret ballot on whether Brown should remain in charge of the party. Brown yesterday described the threat as “a storm in a teacup.”

Today’s findings may keep alive questions about Brown’s leadership. Brown has until June to call a general election and has trailed the Conservative opposition in opinion polls for much of the past two years.

“Brown may have survived a potential coup, but his re- election chances will not have been helped,” David Owen, managing director and chief European economist for Jeffries & Company Inc., said in a research note today.

The same poll showed that 69 percent of respondents said that “there are no obvious more popular candidates” to succeed Brown, while 23 percent said there would be. ComRes didn’t ask which candidates voters prefer.