By-election blues: was Labour’s recent defeat a temporary setback or is the tide turning?

There was more bad news for Gordon Brown this week after Embassy’s latest poll showed that London’s diplomats believe the tide is turning against

the Labour party.

In this month’s

Barometer, envoys were asked whether Labour’s  drubbing in the local elections and the Crewe and Nantwich by-election were a temporary setback or whether

it represented a sea change against

the ruling party.

Just shy of 86% of respondents said the tide was turning against Labour, compared to 14% who felt recent poor performances were a temporary setback. Last October, 50% felt Labour could recover in the polls.

Commenting, one diplomat said the Tories were riding high after the mayoral election victory of Boris Johnson in London while Gordon Brown made a better second-in-command rather than leader.

However, some diplomats feel a change of leadership would be political suicide and a snap election might be the best option for Labour.

Temporary setback 14%

The tide is turning 86%