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azzuri · 'Our Scotland' Fossil Joined: 12 Sep 2005 Posts: 3796

see - http://www.theherald.co.uk/politics/62003.html

Scots should be barred from being PM, say English voters

GORDON Brown's campaign to succeed Tony Blair was dealt another blow yesterday as an ICM poll revealed that most voters in England believed Scottish MPs should be barred from becoming prime minister.

The poll, carried out last week for the BBC among 1013 adults in the UK, found that the results divided starkly north and south of the border: 55% of those polled in England said it would be wrong for a Scottish MP to be British prime minister but only 20% of Scots polled held the same view. Across the UK, 52% of respondents said it was wrong for an MP north of the border to become PM now that Scotland has its own parliament.

The SNP seized on the findings. Alex Salmond said: "This poll is bad news for Labour . . . It shows Gordon Brown's new-found Britishness cuts no ice north or south of the border."

Labour dismissed the polling, arguing that nationality would not be an issue. A spokesman said: "The people of Britain will pick the next prime minister based on his ability to deliver a strong and stable economy and a secure future."

Speculation over the prime minister's intentions continued over the weekend. While the chancellor's allies insist they must have a working understanding of the prime minister's departure date, and agreement on key policies, there is an overwhelming belief that Mr Blair has decided to stand down next year.

Some of Mr Blair's keenest allies denied they were trying to persuade him to stay on, and a spokesman for John Reid, the home secretary, rubbished speculation about Mr Reid standing for the leadership.

Labour's leadership at Holyrood yesterday reversed its reluctance to back Tony Blair, with the first minister heaping praise on both the prime minister and on Gordon Brown, while leaving his options open to back other potential leadership contender's, specifically mentioning Mr Reid.
The first minister said that the succession is unpredictable. "I don't think anybody can describe someone who's won three general elections as anything other than an electoral asset. He's an electoral asset, but so is Gordon Brown, so is John Reid and so are other cabinet members."

Problems over leadership were not confined to the Labour party. Sir Menzies Campbell, on BBC 1's Politics Show, was again forced to defend his leadership amid growing unease within his party about his performance.

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