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More people think that David Cameron rather than Gordon Brown will make the right cuts in public spending, according to an opinion poll carried out for ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Two's Newsnight.

Newsnight has invited American Pollster, Cornell Belcher, to find out what the public in the UK make of their politicians.

His first film can be seen on tonight's Newsnight and then three further films will broadcast during the conference season focusing on Labour, the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats.

Cornell Belcher employs many of the polling techniques he developed when working for the Democratic Party and Barack Obama ahead of last year's Presidential election.

On his first visit to Britain, Belcher was teamed up with British pollster Johnny Heald with research company ORB who carried out the polling and organised the focus groups on behalf of Belcher.

As well as the opinion poll, he has conducted focus groups in marginal seats.

The poll, conducted last weekend, asked which leader will make the right cuts in public spending – 39% said David Cameron and the Conservatives, less than a quarter (24%) said Gordon Brown and the Labour Party and 17% said Nick Clegg and the Liberal Democrats.

Asked whether they approve or disapprove of the way in which Gordon Brown is handling his job as Prime Minister, 29% of those polled said they approved, 67% said they disapproved.

Cornell Belcher noted that this approval rating is worse than that of US President George W Bush, at a similar time in the electoral cycle.

Two-thirds (67%) of those asked also think that the country is "pretty seriously off on the wrong track" as opposed to under a third (30%) who think it is "moving in the right direction".

Even among those who voted Labour at the last election, in 2005, there is a majority 51% who think the country is on the "wrong track" – 47% of those 2005 Labour voters asked think it is moving in the "right direction".

When asked who "is someone I can trust" and who "will prioritise families", Gordon Brown came out badly.

Just over a fifth of those asked, 21%, think Gordon Brown "is someone I can trust" compared to just under a third, 30%, who think that of David Cameron. Although almost the same number of people – 29% – said this applied to "none of them".

Just less than a quarter of people asked, 24%, think Gordon Brown and the Labour Party "will prioritise families". For David Cameron and the Conservatives that figure was 42% and 15% think that of Nick Clegg and the Liberal Democrats.

But, on one of the key issues which could decide the election, Gordon Brown and David Cameron are neck-and-neck.

When asked who "will stand up for ordinary people during an economic crisis", 31% said Gordon Brown and the Labour Party, with 30% saying David Cameron and the Conservative Party; 18% of those asked said Nick Clegg and the Liberal Democrats.

Cornell Belcher wanted to know how the British politicians compare in the public mind to the US President, Barack Obama.

Asked whether they have a favourable or unfavourable opinion of Barack Obama, 88% of the people polled said they had a favourable or very favourable opinion as compared to 9% who had an unfavourable or very unfavourable opinion.

And, asked if any UK leader was like Barack Obama, David Cameron had a clear lead with 18% thinking him more like the US president, 11% thinking that of Gordon Brown and only 3% thinking that of Nick Clegg.

Seven per cent of those asked named former Prime Minister Tony Blair even though he was not listed. Also not listed but named by 2% was former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.

But the largest group of those polled, 46%, said no British politician was like the US President.

Notes to Editors

Any use of information in this release must credit ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳'s Two's Newsnight.

The results are taken from a telephone poll conducted by ORB amongst a nationally representative sample of 1,056 UK adults aged 18+.

Interviews were carried out throughout England, Scotland and Wales. Fieldwork took place from 11 to 14 September 2009.

Data has been demographically and political weighted to be representative of the population.

ORB is a member of the British Polling Council.

Poll findings

Q: Will make the right cuts in public spending
Gordon Brown and the Labour Party 24%
David Cameron and the Conservative Party 39%
Nick Clegg and the Liberal Democrats 17%
None of them 10%
Don't Know 9%

Q: Please tell me for each of the following people whether you have a very favourable, favourable, unfavourable, or very unfavourable opinion of them?
Barack Obama
Net: Favourable (that is favourable + very favourable) 87%
Net: Unfavourable (that is unfavourable + very unfavourable) 9%
Never Heard of 4%

Q Which of these UK political leaders, if any, is most like Barack Obama? If you think a previous leader is more like Barack Obama just tell me which one?
David Cameron 18%
Gordon Brown 11%
Tony Blair 7%
Vince Cable 6%
Nick Clegg 3%
Margaret Thatcher 2%
Others 3%
None like Obama 46%
Don't Know 2%

Q Do you approve or disapprove of the way in which Gordon Brown is handling his job as Prime Minister?
Approve 29%
Disapprove 67%
Don't Know 4%

Q Generally speaking, do you think things in Britain are moving in the right direction or are they pretty seriously off on the wrong track?
All/Labour voters 2005
Right Direction 30% 47%
Wrong track 67% 51%
Don't know 4% 3%

Q Now I'm going to read you some phrases and characteristics other people we have interviewed have used to describe the political parties in the UK. For each phrase or characteristic, please tell me whether you think each is a better description of David Cameron, Gordon Brown or Nick Clegg?

Will stand up for ordinary people during an economic crisis
Gordon Brown and the Labour Party 31%
David Cameron and the Conservative Party 30%
Nick Clegg and the Liberal Democrats 18%
None of them 13%
Don't Know 8%

Will prioritise families
Gordon Brown and the Labour Party 24%
David Cameron and the Conservative Party 42%
Nick Clegg and the Liberal Democrats 15%
None of them 9%
Don't Know 9%

Is someone I can trust
Gordon Brown and the Labour Party 21%
David Cameron and the Conservative Party 30%
Nick Clegg and the Liberal Democrats 15%
None of them 29%
Don't Know 6%

PH