BLAIR WINS OVER PUBLIC

SkyNews ^ | April 6, 2003 | SkyNews

[FairOpinion]

More than two-thirds of the public approve of Tony Blair's handling of the war in Iraq and more than half back British involvement in military action, according to a new opinion poll.

However, two-in-five believe there will be heavy civilian casualties in the battle for Baghdad.

The poll, by YouGov, found the public was split on the question of whether the war would make the rest of the world more peaceful and stable, with some 44% saying it would not.

More than two-in-three people thought Mr Blair's handling of the war itself was excellent (18%) or good (50%).

Slightly more than a quarter said it was poor (19%) or very poor (9%).

Some 76% of those who voted Labour in 2001 backed the Prime Minister, while a third of those who opposed the war (34%) said his handling of the conflict had been good.

Asked about the battle for Baghdad, nearly two-in-five (39%) thought casualties would be heavy, while half (50%) thought they would be moderate and 7% light.

About 55% of those quizzed said the US and Britain were right to have taken military action against Iraq, compared to 38% who said they were wrong.

Support was highest among the 30-50 age-group (57% saying it was right) and among supporters of the Tories (59%) and Labour (58%).

YouGov polled 3,800 adults on April 3 and 4 in the survey for ITV1's Jonathan Dimbleby programme.

[FairOpinion]

It's high time they started to appreciate their courageous Prime Minister.

Go Bush! Go Blair!

[libertyfreedom28]

The British are our allies. The French are our competitors.

[Paradox]

TOny Blair has the biggest set of stones on this planet. The courage he has shown is historic in nature. God bless him, and the fightin Brits!

[Arkinsaw]

I also think that the professionalism, elan, humanity, and balls of the British forces have helped somewhat.

[Bush2004]

However, two-in-five believe there will be heavy civilian casualties in the battle for Baghdad.

Guess again, and get behind Tony Blair!

[FairOpinion]

I think that exactly, as people see, that there are minimal casualties on our side, support for the war and for Bush & Blair will increase.

I remember before the war some polls were asking: "do you support the war, even if there will be tens of thousands of American casualties?"

[Dergie]

And he's cute too.

[FairOpinion]

"The French are our competitors."

----

You are being overly kind to the French. They are showing themselves to be our ENEMIES.

Competition can exist in commerce, economy, but don't forget how they lobbied other countries, including Turkey to NOT support us. That qualifies them as an enemy in my book.

The Brits, actually Blair, has been steadfast in his support, despite all the lack of popular support in the UK, until just now.

[Lancey Howard]

No surprise.
Like everywhere, people respect a leader who stands up for his convictions, especially if doing so appears to go against the general public sentiment (at least, as represented by the press).

Chirac is now toast because comparisons with Blair will be inevitable, and Chirac will rightly come off as a weak, opportunistic populist who goes whichever way the wind blows.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Very good news!

OFFICIAL BUMP(TOPIC)LIST

[zeugma]

Excellent! I'd like to think that what we are seeing is the answer of the British People to a cause that is just. They've had to fight a hell of a lot of negative media on the BBC to come to the conclusions they have. Freeing a people is a great thing. Britains are a noble people, notwithstanding the difficulties we had in the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. :-)

[B4Ranch]

[Howlin]

TOny Blair has the biggest set of stones on this planet.

Well, don't tell the Blair haters on this site that.....they'll go insane!

[JennysCool]

a weak, opportunistic populist who goes whichever way the wind blows.

We used to have one of those over here as I recall.

[FairOpinion]

Interesting graph, but where is Germany? We know they also played a significant role in arming Saddam.

[geege]

So is the Spanish PM

[MeekMom]

Way to go Tony!
You da man!

[B4Ranch]

I have no idea.

[Timesink]

However, two-in-five believe there will be heavy civilian casualties in the battle for Baghdad.

So?