Blair tumbles in British opinion poll

12.00pm

LONDON - British Prime Minister Tony Blair and his Labour Party have tumbled in public opinion with the political storm over the death of a government scientist at the centre of a row over Iraqi weapons of mass destruction.

An ICM poll published in today's Guardian newspaper showed public faith in Blair's trustworthiness had slumped by 12 points in the past month to just 39 per cent.

It also showed Blair's personal approval rating down to minus 17 from plus seven on the so-called "Baghdad Bounce" in the immediate aftermath of the war to oust Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.

At the same time the government's lead over the opposition Conservatives dropped to just two points from 12 two months ago, according to the telephone poll taken shortly after the discovery on Friday of the body of weapons expert David Kelly.

The poll showed Labour support at 36 per cent compared to the Conservatives who were static on 34 per cent.

An inquest into the death of Kelly, who bled to death from a slit left wrist, was opened and adjourned on Monday -- the same day that the government appointed judge Lord Hutton to head an independent inquiry into the circumstances around the death.

The BBC acknowledged Kelly was the main source for a report by defence correspondent Andrew Gilligan that Blair's officials deliberately distorted a report to make it seem the threat of Iraqi weapons of mass destruction was imminent.

Blair used the threat to back his case for war against Iraq, and he and his officials have strongly rejected the accusation of deliberate distortion.

But the fact that the Ministry of Defence publicly named Kelly as the source before the BBC admission, and the public mauling he received by a parliamentary committee have badly damaged the government's already faltering credibility.

Political analysts say Kelly's death has faced Blair with the worst political crisis of his six-year rule, with opponents baying for his blood -- although the ICM poll showed support for him among Labour voters solid at 75 per cent.

The crisis has also overshadowed Blair's Far East trip, with reporters' questioning on the death of Kelly dominating news conferences over the weekend.

"The death of David Kelly has inflicted immense damage on the reputation of a government that already had little reputation left," said Anthony King, professor of government at Essex University.

The political turmoil also hit the pound sending it to a three-month low against the dollar and six-week low against the euro.

- REUTERS

British Parliament Foreign Affairs Committee transcript:

Evidence of Dr David Kelly

Key players in the 'sexed-up dossier' affair

Herald Feature: Iraq