PM 'could face leadership challenge'

The prospect of a leadership challenge to Gordon Brown is not less than 50/50, according to a poll of ePolitix.com readers.

Some 48 per cent of subscribers said they thought the prime minister would face a Labour leadership challenge before the next general election, while 48.8 per cent said they thought he would not.

Brown's leadership has been hit recently by the row over the abolition of the 10p tax band, as well as recent poll losses in the local and London elections and a huge swing against Labour in the Crewe and Nantwich by-election.

The survey also revealed an increase in recent months in those who think the Commons will defeat the government's plans to increase the limit of pre-charge detention for terror suspects to 42 days.

In March, 43 per cent thought the government would be defeated in its bid to extend the current 28-day limit. This figure increased to 63.4 per cent in April and to 68.2 per cent in May.

Just 26.4 per cent thought the government would be able to carry through the measure.

More than three quarters (75.4 per cent) expected ministers to press ahead with its post office closure programme, while 18.4 per cent thought they would back down.

Respondents were also less than optimistic about the economic situation, with 60.5 per cent saying it will get worse over the next year and 29.9 per cent saying it would remain the same.

The majority also thought that house prices would fall by five and 10 per cent this year.

Some 74.8 per cent agreed with housing minister Caroline Flint, who was recently snapped carrying briefing notes predicting a five to 10 per cent drop "at best" this year. Fifteen per cent said they did not expect such a reduction.

The online poll of 500 ePolitix subscribers was conducted from May 20-22 2008. For more information, please contact dodspolling@dods.co.uk