Give Cameron a break, say voters

William JordanUS Elections Editor
May 28, 2013, 8:06 AM GMT+0

David Cameron's approval ratings remain low, but a majority of voters still say Cameron was right to take a holiday despite ongoing investigations into the murder of a soldier in Woolwich

David Cameron's office at Downing Street has been forced to reassert that the Prime Minister "remains in charge" while on holiday in Ibiza, after days of criticism from MPs and some in the media for leaving so soon after the deadly attack of a soldier in Woolwich. Echoing outcry elsewhere, the Daily Mail reported that Cameron had been "condemned" for deciding to "jet off to Ibiza for a sunshine break" just "days after [a] horrific terror attack". Labour Party MP Sarah Champion said the public "deserve better".

New YouGov research reveals that while 61% of voters remain dissatisfied with David Cameron's performance as Prime Minister, most (53%) approve of his decision to take a half-term family holiday away from No 10.

Public opinon on the matter is split along partisan lines: substantial majorities of supporters for the Coalition parties (88% of Conservative voters and 70% of Lib Dem voters) think that Cameron's holiday was appropriate and agree that "people do their job better if they take regular breaks, and with modern communications he can still keep in touch", while six in ten (60%) of Labour voters hold the view that Cameron should have stayed in Britain to "handle the situation" following the attack in Woolwich.

However, approval of the holiday tied with or outpaced confidence in Cameron's leadership abilities among voters of each party. 88% of Conservative voters think Cameron is doing a good job as Prime Minister and the same amount (88%) say he should be allowed a holiday; meanwhile, three times as many Labour voters (30%) think he was right to take the holiday to Ibiza as think he is "doing well" (10%). Lib Dem voters are also more likely to approve of Cameron's holiday than his performance by a margin of 22%; for UKIP voters, the margin is 36%.

Cameron has also received some support from fellow MPs. Nadine Dorries, a Conservative backbencher often critical of her party, told Sky News the criticism of Cameron was "ridiculous", emphasizing the advantages of technology like mobile phones and adding, "I think Cameron could actually get back from Ibiza to London quicker than if he was in Cornwall."

See the full poll results

See Cameron's approval ratings

Not yet a member of YouGov? Make your opinion count by joining today!