Unpopular Brown stays away from by-election as new poll shows three quarters of voters think he's...

Loser: Gordon Brown's popularity has plumetted further despite Labour's three-point come-back Gordon Brown's personal popularity plumbed new depths today as it emerged that he will not campaign in the crunch by-election in Glasgow East. A Populus/Times poll found that three quarters of voters now viewed the Prime Minister as a "loser", while 67 per cent saw him as a weak leader. The survey put the Conservatives on 41 per cent, Labour on 26 per cent and the Liberal Democrats on 19 per cent. On the economy, the Tories have moved into a 13-point lead as the best party nation's finances. Mr Brown's supporters can draw a crumb of comfort the fact that although his own ratings are still dire, Labour's sharp fall in popularity appears to have bottomed out. The party is up three points on a month ago, while the Tories are down four.... [read full story]