Major does especially well among Conservatives and Lib Dems, while voters across the board think Blair should keep out
We heard recently Tony Blair pledge to "do whatever it takes to help Ed Miliband win". But what would be help most, visible support or keeping out of the way? For Red Box, YouGov asked the nation: "Thinking about retired politicians playing a role in the current election, do you think getting support from the following politicians would be an asset or a liability for today's politicians?"
The overall greatest asset is considered to be John Major, who scores net zero among the general public, although he is +21 among Conservatives supporters. The second greatest asset, only a whisker behind Major, is Paddy Ashdown on net -1, and net +45 among Liberal Democrats. Bottom of the league is Tony Blair, at net -47, and even among Labour supporters he scores net -22.
The low scores Labour voters give to heavyweights Blair and Mandelson seem especially telling. Many Labour voters may have doubts about their current leader and a revived respect for Gordon Brown – but that doesn't mean they're ready to resurrect the centrist approach of the party's recent history.
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