How significant are these findings? Unfortunately I can't find any comparable statistics from 1990. But what I do want to draw attention to is the limitations of polling. Pollsters ask whether one is "satisfied" or "dissatisfied" with a person or party - hardly an accurate guide to the public's sentiments. I suspect, for instance, that the dissatisfaction felt towards Thatcher verged in many cases close to hate; in Blair's case, the problem is one of boredom, and, possibly, mild antipathy. Earlier this month I predicted that Blair's role as statesman during the Lebanon criris would bolster his ratings, regardless of the fact that the policies he was advocating were unpopular. The Mori poll was done before then, but in more recent surveys my prediction hasn't been at all obvious. On the contrary: Beckett is facing defections by party activists in her local consituency.

I'm wary about trusting polls. I'm a member of the YouGov panel (once you've "earned" £50 you can cash it in), and the temptation to click on answers randomly without fully reading the question is too strong. This isn't a problem for telephone polling, but other difficulties exist for that medium too.