So Gordon Brown is touring the country, on a desperate charm offensive, trying to disassociate himself from Blair's 'legacy' and claiming he will right all the wrongs which he himself was party to !
Discerning voters will be well aware that Brown's fingerprints are all over the policies of the last ten years: the billions raided from Pension Funds, the introduction of top-up fees, over 100 new taxes, a disastrous, illegal war in Iraq,
If this is a bounce, then it ought to be a dead Macavity cat bounce !

Rick, London, England

I think you are forgetting that Brown has been part of the Blair governement and part of the execution - its time we people of Britain vote!I Elections!!

sytha, london,

Dream on MR BROWN enough is enough the British
subjects are not stupid its time to change ,the polls
at the local elections proved that .THERE ARE NO MAGIC
POTIONS IN POLITICS JUST HARD FACTS.

george william taylor, HULL, UK

It is quite amazing how some people are fooled! Had David Davies become leader of the Tory Party then the Labour government may have had something to be concerned about. Instead the conservatives were seduced by a slick old Etonian salesman who skillfully avoided articulating anything of substance.

The rebound in Labour support was inevitable and the 4% difference in the polls is not statistically significant, especially in the mid-term of a parliament.

I wonder if the conservatives have given any thought as to who they will elect as their next leader?

Donovan Wright, Reading, Berkshire

It's quite a stretch to interpret these results as anything other than a dead cat bounce. Brown Labour v Cameron Tories at 32 to 42 respectively means Labour are up one point since a month ago. This is well within the measurement noise, i.e. a statistical no-change.

The more subsidiary stats, e.g. who is the stronger leader, are subject to even greater noise as people's knowledge of the question diminishes. That is, most people know how they are going to vote but fewer know who is a better 'leader' out of Cameron and Blair. This explains the apparently contradictory answers and offers cold comfort to Labour.

Brownites have previously dismissed the 'Labour led by Brown' v the Tories question as too hypothetical, when explaining the difference in voting intentions. That defence is getting shakier by the day.

Scary, Sheffield, S. Yorks

I wouldn't be concerned about C4 Dispatches. The whole program was biased against Labour, by Tory toff and right wing journalist Peter Oborne. Brown has the stature, integrity and leadership to be a brilliant Prime Minister.

Gary Stewart, Clydebank, Scotland

What strikes me about Brown is how naff he is at retail politics.

Droning on, ignoring the question, regurgitating statistics - all politicians do this, but the succesful ones also have a certain X factor (call it charisma, or passion or whatever).

I think that Brown's been holed up in the impreganble fortress of the treasury for too long. He hasn't needed to charm or persuade for so long his ability to do so has atrophied.

Compare and contrast with the Tories, who've been hardened by ten years inn the wilderness.

Bob, Liverpool, UK

As for C4's Dispatches all I can say about that is if you have no education you could easily be fooled into thinking that it was an accurate show full of facts rather than the biased bottom gravy that it actually was. Brown achieved amongst other things record low unemployment, constant growth for 10 years during periods of recession in Europe, the US and Japan (according to dispatches that never happened) That show was a joke, if you do not see that you should not be allowed to vote, you obviously have no idea what you’re voting for. The show had the veneer of being professional and accurate but when you know the facts you can see how biased and basically misleading it was against him.

Craig, South Yorkshire, England

Wow, nice bit of spinning the news for Brown!

Fact: Populus poll for Times shows current support for Blair-led Labour as 33% against Cameron-led Tories on 37%.

Fact: Populus poll for Times shows hypothetical Brown-led Labour on 32% against Cameron-led Tories on 42%.

Bounce for Brown? More like an unfortunate splat!

Euan, Edinburgh, UK

Well Brown's got a good head on his shoulders, a brain, just what PM’s need these days. - Much better than charisma which is just a load of learned techniques, and after all why is Cameron modelling himself on someone that’s just on the way out ?

Ian, York, England

Over the years it seems that the greater exposure politicians have, the less they are liked by the general public. Gordon Brown has already had a great deal of exposure, especially in the last three years: Cameron will get increasing time in the spotlight as we get nearer the next election, and as his policies come under greater scrutiny he is likely to become less popular. Whether Brown can take advantage of that remains to be seen. Brown doesn't have Blair's charisma but he seems a very astute politician, and will ruthlessly expose any chinks in the Cameron armour.

Chris Kendrick, Bristol, UK

It is of value that the country gets a good sighting of Gordon Brown before the next election. A year or two will suffice to show this man for what he is. At least when the election comes along we will be better armed than we were ten years ago.

When the moment comes we will have the choice of a shot in the dark or a shot for the dark.

Alan, Llanerchymedd, Wales

The boost in Labour's and Blair's ratings is clearly due to the fact that Blair's departure has given Labour the opportunity to at last present a true account of their record over the last ten years. Makes you wonder where Labour would have been if the media had given them this opportunity throughout their period of office.

Stan Rosenthal, Lindfield, West Sussex

I just can't understand how the Tories have not been able to mount a credible opposition to this man after all he has done. Brown has singlehandedly ensured that we will all be poorer in retirement, wasted billions on the NHS and education with no demonstrable improvements, and useless projects that go nowhere, and people still think he will make a good PM?? We need a forthright opposition that is prepared to speak bluntly and stop trying to keep everyone happy. Things can only get worse.

CA, Manchester, UK

Sir,

I entirely agree with Mr. Mold.
The british people rae still missing Maggie.

ROSS HENRY, LONDON,

They've had 10 years to address numeracy in schools, and have spent a fortune on it already. What excuse can they possibly have for not having 'fixed' it by now?

PR, Cornwall,

Did any of you watch C4 dispatches last night? My god, Gordon was savaged by the entire government essentially and this guy is supposed to be running the country?

I think there really needs to be a plan B.

Jesse, Bromley,,

My definition of a strong leader is determined by his actions in preparing a Country for the arrows and slings of outrageous wars. When you consider that this man has reduced the level of our army and navy to a banana republic
by his swingeing cuts and our heroic troops are reduced to begging , borrowing or buying their own gear and are fighting with sub standard often obsolete equipment because of the same cuts - Is this a strong Leader -I think not.

philip, Ipswich,

Yes you can't accuse Cameron of 'poncing around in fron of the cameras' can you? Oh, hang on....

I think in a straight fight between a serious politician who has run the economy successfully for 10 years, and a poshboy PR luvvie who has only recently decided he is a 'moderniser' these polls will narrow even further.

Tom, London,

Mr Brown's poll findings would be even better if he could stop this incessant rain which began at his leadership bid launch last thursday !

william grierson, Kimpton, UK

Considering all the media manupilation and spin for Brown these last few days, his poll rating should have been a lot higher.
Sounds like a new brave world, in fact, like heaven on earth, that Mr. Brown is going to bring on. Where was he the last 10 years?
Who was responsible for the higher and higher taxes, not to mention the rest of the dog's dinner serve to us.
Well, I suppose he wasn't really part of the Labour government the last 10 years, so he cannot be blamed for the indescribable mess we are now in.

P Stewrt, Kent, UK

Is anyone surprised that Brown has gone up in the polls? Loads of TV appearances to reassure us what a nice chap he is, and he had absolutely nothing to do with previous failed Labour policies in the NHS, Crime, Immigration etc. And more than a little positive coverage from the Murdoch media.

Tony G, Harrogate, UK

Come on Scottish Nationalists - England needs you!

CA, Manchester, UK

Some boost both Brown and Cameron are r ted below TB who according to the polls was a dead duck PM. As for things getting better do people really believe Brown is going to take his hand out of their pocket and give them some of their own money back for a change,I very much doult it.

Cameron he loves having photo taken after that there's nothing to the man or his policies.This counrty will miss TB when he's gone just as it missed M Thatcher.

Dave, Mold, Flintshire

The country must be doomed; on the one hand 'More voters think that things will get better rather than worse under Mr Brown than Tony Blaire'. On the other 'nearly half the public, 47 per cent, think that taxation levels will get worse'. We have already had tax increases that have reduced competitivity and are at their highest levels for decades without commensurate improvements in public services, so why on earth will more of the same have the faintest of impacts. Collective madness or touching faith in head banging?

Alan Tayler, Wivelsfield, East Sussex

Given Brown's famous hesitancy and cowardice (where IS he when things go wrong?) in the face of bad news, it will take but one crisis to expose his failings as PM.

Paul Hughes, oxford, Oxon

Things will be better under Brown? Well they do say its possible to fool some of the people some of the time.

While Brown has been pouncing around in front of the cameras, Cameron has at least been out there listening to people.

John Pickworth, Blackpool, UK