For all those who voted Labour last time take a long hard look in the mirror and blame yourself for the demise of this once great nation

Greg Pattenden, Neddham Market,

labour back to their roots and their supporters

Ian, bedford,

The best thing Tony Blair did was keep the hard Left out while the other parties had a chance to get their act together. A bit like how, in the Iraq war, Blair was Bush's "restraining partner".
Basically Brown has shownn himself to be the brilliant academic theoretician that Blair deliberately kept out of power, for fear of his lack of real-world expertise. Brown may be a brilliant parliamentarian, but the aggression and wile that wins in Westminster is the same thing that alienates the public. The more delusions he defends, the more people will hate him.
Blair - you were a great PM, warts and all, and now we are re-learning that if you want someone to "go", then you have to know what you're going to replace them with.
My wish - all three parties spend ten years out of government and we are left to govern ourselves through Wikiwestminster, which gets to stand as 4th party.
If it happens it would be a wonderful thing, but I doubt my libertarian revolution will ever happen.

Matt, London, England

Dear New Labour, thank you for wrecking my once proud country and consigning the working class to everlasting poverty! Enjoy YOUR oversized public service pensions! Not missing you already!

R.B., Leicester,

I never voted for this government - this country has lost everything and it will not be long before it is a third world place to live. Especially as we are providing housing for the rest of the world. It will soon be like a concrete jungle but with the cost of living, council tax and energy prices forever increasing, it will be an expensive place to live for those who work and earn money.

sue, st albans, uk

New Labour will get what they deserve, years in the wilderness.

A Seymour, Peterborough, England

Council tax up 100% since 1990, the working class taxed to death. Labour was all our the working class once. Time labour goes.

Harry, Gravesend, UK

How unfortunate it is for the English electorate. They have a choice of Labour or Tory, the other parties are too small and do not really matter – Yet!

We, the last of the colonies in Wales Ireland and Scotland, at least have a third choice: The Nationalist Party’s. This is particularly true in Scotland where the SNP goes from strength to strength and soon we will be leaving this unwanted Union behind. When this happens England will really begin to understand the size of the whole that New Labour has dug for you.

Despite all the propaganda in the media we Scots are not Anti-English – just Anti-Union. We look forward to a return of our Independence when we can be good friend to our neighbours in the South. Perhaps England will learn from our example and create a new National party that puts the good of the English Nation first and can re-invent that den of crooks called Westminster – Both Houses - and turn it into a truly democratic government.

With all four Nations of these islands Independent and able to form new relationships I believe that we shall be stronger. “The sum of the parts shall be greater than the Whole”. This government controlled Media would prefer that we were too busy fighting each other in meaningless spats than putting their incompetence and the failure of the Union under the public spotlight. Let us not do the governments bidding but work together to defeat them.

Sanny, Glasgow, Scotland

In truth, I don't much care how much they earn. I just want them to do a good job.

Wrecking Britain is not what I call a good job - whatever the salary.

PaulD, Essex,

It’s not just the economy that is the cause of the nations anger with Labour. It is unfettered immigration, letting immigrants in that have a religio-political ideology that is hell bent in destroying the Christian fabric of the nation. In addition, the destruction of parliament and handing over its sovereignty to a bunch of bureaucrats in Brussels has played a significant part in Labour's downfall.

Labour MPs do not seem to realise that their tenure in parliament is temporary. By being elected they were temporary occupants in parliament, that was to be held in trust for future generations. It is not in their power to give away the supremacy of parliament.

DaveP, Beverley, UK

Its all over now baby brown.

kenny livitt, hove,

not much chance for brown and co then. And a bloody good job too! We have endured eleven long years of misery and I'm always amazed at how the british public have put up with it.

Albert Hall, kettering,

No doubt labour will loose the next election. Ten years ago I voted for labour beleiving a much better fairer system for hard working people like myself..Today I feel labour has abandond me as a voter and hard working tax payer. We have all lived on borrowed money (monoply money) and now we are paying the price

Sean, Redditch, Worcs

The truth is that they have all betrayed us, both parties, now it's time for a change, the whole house needs mucking out, vote only for new first time MPs.
Each one a new broom, and those who fail to properly represent us, vote them out next time and so on,enough is enough.

Clive Burghard, LANCING, ENGLAND

I response to "James, London, UK" - the last election was in 2005, meaning that the election wouldn't have to be held untl 2010 NOT 2009.

Steven, Derby,

Is this really just about the economy? Or has the great Euro-referendum lie done more damage to Labour credibility than they calculated? Perhaps treating voters' intelligence and opinions with contempt wasn't such a smart move.

Roger, Newmarket,

This labour government does not seem to care. The cost of Living has gone up. There is more hardship for most families.
There is no intervention from the Government when fuel, energy, food, etc keeps on rising every other day.
There is a limit how much public will tolerate. No wonder the support for Labour is low. Labour will be kicked out in the next election.

kosh, london,

70% tax on £1 of fuel, with no flexibility for charity workers / rural workers etc. really sucks. I want a leader who makes this situation fairer.

Tom Price, Chertsey, UK

"The growing Conservative lead also makes it less likely that Brown will call an election next year."

Er, he won't have a choice as 5 years would have passed. Unless we're no longer in a democracy - which wouldn't surprise me!

James, London, UK

This is the beginning of the end for Gordon Brown. If Labour MPs get their snouts out the trough for long enough they still might have time to align themselves with a new party leader. I've always voted Labour but never again for Gordon Brown. He is to Tony Blair what John Major was to Margaret Thatcher - except Brown didn't have the guts to call a General Election and get a proper mandate.

Peter Collins, Brighton, UK

Britain will look back on this labour government as 12 lost years

cc, york,

Am I simply stupid? or is it just me that realises that if one is historicaly aware then one knows that whenever "we" have been involved in a WAR the government - or the monarch, further into history - tax the hell out of the public in order to pay for it. Someone has to, but no one seems to be talking about that.... perhaps conveniently. In case anyone hasn't noticed the UK have been involved in two very expensive wars over the past several years - WE ARE AT WAR NOW...!!! in Iraq and in Afganistan. It seems that people are either not historicaly aware or are forgetting the fact that WAR = HIGH TAXES..... simple really isn't it?

Kevan, Nottingham, England

Being very cynical- and wishing Hague and Davies were at the helm and Matthew Paris because he has vision-

Warning though-Don't go upsetting nurse

For fear of getting something worse!

community stirrer, Weymouth, Dorset UK

Most people I know believe that this Government stands for greed, corruption, lies and war, war war. Yet the idiot Ministers can't understand why they're so unpopular with the public.

Neil, Gloucestershire, England

In reality the public do not want 2 Scots mis-managing the economy.

JJ, London,

I have alway said that Brown "Does not seem to be the full shilling", well now he and his lot have just shown themselves to be a bunch of incompetent control freaks who are incapable of seeing that the people are more wise than they are. Brown needs to go back and get a job as a Church minister, dealing with the hairy fairy ideas he inherited . He does have some good intentions but he obviously has no idea of the real world although I do embrace his values.

Dave Madley, Alicante, Spain

A fitting poll peformance for political low-life.

RB, Aberdeen,

In 45 years I have never ever considered voting Tory but at the next election I can't wait
Taxes up to a record high, fuel prices going through the roof , Poll Tax up 6% +
As Ricky Gervais would say. Are you having a laugh?
Gordon say goodbye to No 10.
Youve' reached the same point the Major government reached just before they were voted out.
I'm counting the days as is everybody else

Mark Mosley, Rugby, Warwickshire

A bunch of incompetent wasters will soon be out of a job - So What?

Simon, The Hague,

When David Cameron first took over as leader of the Conservative party ...I thought here we go he is just trying to be another trendy liberal. But his recent public statements on requesting a full open debate on our outdated abortion laws and now stressing the importance of the traditional family for a healthy society. I have changed my mind about him. He has shown courage to swim against the trendy liberal tide. On this alone he will get my vote come the next General Election. And it seems many others feel the same as the Conservatives storm into a 16 point lead over New Labour.
It seems the nation is starting to see through the emptiness of the 'do what you want society' that the trendy liberals have created over the last 11 years of this New labour Government. The more the trendy liberals attack our Britishness, our rich Christian heritage and values, including attacking the importance of the traditional family, the stronger David cameron will become.

Simon Icke, Aston Clinton , UK

Labour's time is up; they have returned to the 1970s with huge tax and spend, huge waste within the public sector, an uncompetitive economy on the skids, a ballooning national deficit, incompetence throughout government, and a class war on hard working successful citizens via envy taxes on items such as nice cars. ‘Mondeo man’ won Labour the last few elections but now he is hit by stealth taxes everywhere, the cost of living is soaring and his aspirations to have nicer house or a nicer car will never happen. ‘Mondeo man’ feels a lot poorer, cannot realise his aspirations and feels betrayed and will not vote Labour now.

Cameron and the Conservatives are going to win by default.

Daniel, Birmingham, UK

Let's have some perspective, please. This is not about Gordon Brown; it is about the LABOUR party. What we experience now would be no different were Tony Blair still in power; so, please no one should use this as a platform to berate Brown. For me, I despise this government completely. In 10 short years, they have raped our youths of any morals, they have increased the numbers of those living off my tax, they have harassed my family with taxes to the point that my husband and I are now living off our savings. I could go on-and-on but I shall not bore you. I do not take consolation in the fact that I did not vote in Labour. Rather, I am frightfully angry with all those who voted them in. All said, I believe that even labour voters (my parents for example) will not be voting them in the next election. So, puh-lease, let's have an election very soon. And I pray that it brings in a government that would not continue to tax me to the point of lunacy.

Annie, Cambridge, UK

If it's that bad now, just wait until the big recession really starts! Should be fun.

judy, Liverpool, England

I think tthat slipping Northern Rock under the carpet and the promise to certainly possibly may or, on the other hand may not, think about doing something or other about plastic bags in a few years time sum up the glove puppet and the puppeer.

Tom PAyne, Hudderefsield, UK

I too find is surpising that lasts weeks poll was saying the opposite.
Just goes to show you should'nt trust polls or pollsters.

Disgruntled Dorothy, Glasgow, Scotland

As a still hard working OAP who has taken almost nothing out of the state (and recently had to sell mothers family home to cover the cost of her nursing) the sooner this government channels some of its wasted civil service costs towards the non feckless grafters of the working and middle classes the better.

Brian Pask, Bristol,

The real tragedy is what happened in May 1997. People were bruised and battered after years of Mrs Thatcher and much of what she introduced is now causing havoc - transport and bank deregulation, privatisation of resources (water, electricity and gas). Union opposition went too far, with the working classes at each other's throats, notably, police versus the miners on that fateful sad day.

In May 1997 people were truly optimistic with lots of Nulab promises about the rosy future ahead and look at us now! Education, education, education. ....... and the reality soon after? The introduction of university fees, young people in debt with many unable to buy a house and even unemployed young doctors. It's an absolute scandal and hardly surprising that many young people are driven to drink - they are the future but they can see it looks very bleak for them.

Pensioners, of whom I am one, had opportunities to save so give it a rest and think of the younger generation!!

Shirley Bowen, Blackpool, UK

Any party in power too long inevitably becomes arrogant and overly self-assured, so too labour after 10 years in power! Last week, in a country where people on the lowest wages struggle to pay bills and keep warm etc we watched a group of MPs (of average wage 137,000 pounds per annum) laugh and smirk whilst more tax rises where announced, finally capped by a "so what!" comment from a member of the same party! What astonishing arrogance! Then an assurance of financial stability and two days later a major American bank collapses! I have always voted labour, in fact have been accused of being a socialist at times, but I will NEVER vote for these arrogant, self-assured characters again! In fact amazingly I'd vote Conservative to insure their ousting-and I cannot believe it has come to that! Darling is the by-and-largely innocent scapegoat, I don't want Blair to become the "good Lenin" in this party, any financial catastrophe takes years in the making, we are reaping what we have sowed!

Simon, Leeds, West Yorkshire

Nobody wanted Brown as Primeminister except Brown himself. What can he expect? 10 years of increased direct and indirect taxation having the my hard earned money wasted by Labour whilst year on year I work harder to earn less a my business has to remain competative whist Labour shop a John Lewis's, drink expenisive wines and travel first class everywhere. Who do Labour alledge to represent on £65,000 a year + £200,000 expenses + a second home + first class travel, just who do they represent? They don't represent me!

steve tea, manchester, cheshire

Alan Millburn's assessment that 'the next election is up for grabs' is hopelessly wide of the mark as far as Brown's Labour is concerned.
They have no chance.
How long before we start to hear 'Bring back Tony' ?

John Coyle, Sale. Cheshire, UK

I think this goverment have abjectly and cowardly evaded their responsibilty to the whole country to make the streets safer by not building the new prisons required to keep thieves and rapists out of circulation for the full length of their increasingly paltry sentences but, more importantly, It has refused to safeguard the country's energy supplies by its dithering and delaying the essential move towards nuclear power (as in France) so that we will be able to generate all the electricity we will surely need in the future to run our electric cars etc.

When the power cuts begin, we will know who to blame, but it will be of little comfort.

Be gone Brown and co.

Tonyr, Oxford, UK

Admittedly, I voted for labour under Tony Blair but snce he resigned I feel let down, so for the first time ever, Im voting conservative at any future elections. Gordon Brown, though he may have been good with the public finances, he just does not fit in as the countries 'Prime Minister'.

Andy, Leeds, UK

They've spent and spent and spent, and achieved nothing. They trot out the same old spin "more teachers, more police officers, more nurses, etc", but I don't see anything improving. Remember the days when you could find an NHS dentist, go to University for free, buy a house for your family, find the police doing something other than traffic enforcement?

garry, Preston, UK

bob, st ives,
Haven't you noticed the taxes you are paying? Haven't you noticed nothing has improved for all that money being stolen from you and thrown away? This is true socialism at work, not even a tinge of blue.

David Thijm, Stourbridge, UK

As my old english teacher was wont to say;
Power corrupts -absoute power corrupts absolutely.

I see it in all levels of government. Here in Derby our labour council leader parades himself about like a Minor head of state. Talking down anyone who disagrees with him and leaving the city in a mess of ill thought out planning agreements that leaves the population with no bus station but a huge shopping centre that is too expensive even for shops to operate in.

They are all out to feather their own nests and will continue to do so unless and until the electorate get themselves together to protest about the way things are run.

una, Derby, uk

Uma Shankar, LEICESTER ...... I totally agree with you mate but since the tree hugging lily livered appeasing leftys have taken over it might be hard for you to suceed.

B WILSON, Edinburgh,

How anyone can vote twice for Labour is just way beyond the realms of any imagination. It beggars belief that some are blind, as well as deaf.
But isn't it right what is said that a country deserves the government it gets?
I, and many others, don't deserve this corrupt, weak, havoc wreaking Labour government. We did not vote for them. Bring on the election, Mr Brown and Co. We will show you.

P Granger, Kent, UK

If I become prime minister I would do:

abolish paper work to minimum for police and free more police to patrol the streets
call referendum about european costitution and membership
withdraw from disastrous human 'rites' act
stop any further immigration from new EU countries
allow doctors to run NHS and treat patients according to clinical needs, abolish any target and purge man with grey suits
build immidiately new prisons and deport any foreign prisoner at once
stop any plans to introduce ID cards
allow parents to say how to run the schools
open new grammar school where it need
cut taxes and dont punish middle classes

Andrew, London,

Complete incompetence North and South of the border. It's little suprise that 25% of Labour members in Scotland have departed and the budget set the seal on Labour's fate. Despite beign headlined as a "do nothing" budget there were still quite a few examples of the main skill Labour has on display that is taxation now or delayed.

No mention of horrendous public expenditure waste or uncontrolled immigration and of course EU is just one further example of Labour's utter neglect of voters' wishes.

John M, Perth, Scotland

I believe politicians spend most of their time maximising their expenses and squandering our tax monies. I have removed my name from the voters roll  and will minimise the stealth tax revenues they accrue from me, as an expression of my revulsion of the political incompetents who govern the country.

iain laurie, elgin,

And so the destruction of the Labour Party begins in the same way the Tories did under John Major. Sleaze will kill them off, but the worry is the damage they will do by hanging on.

roger Kingston, york,

Last election I voted Labour, but I will not vote them again. Rampant crime, public transport chaos and ludicrous taxes are all becoming serious points which Labour miserably failed to tackle.

H.Marph , London,

Responsibility must now be returned to the individual. We have had eleven years of Blair and Brown and even the most cursory examination of it will show that Socialism not only is fundamentally totalitarian, but also an inept management model. I ask myself 'what has actually been acheived in 11 years of Labour Governance?' Little that is good. The UK sems to have experienced almost a decline of civilisation and even Labour supporters know it. That is why Cameron will win next time.

chemistryboy, Swindon, UK

Does Gordon Brown not realise that a lot of people are serioulsy upset with the way in which he got himself in to number 10. At least Tony Blair ,as the leader of the Labour party was given a mandate when we voted. Gordon wasnt but he continues to hide behind the idea of a parlimentary democracy when it suits him to explain why he doesnt have to get a mandate for his party with him as leader to tak eth erole of prime minister. I think we have matured as a country and cannto accept thsi sort of undemocratic passing ot the leadership between party leaders irrespective of the wishes of the people. Its just like the old system for electing the supreme soviet and russian president.

Julian, Southampton,

The last paragraph. Jon Cruddas should make a stab at the Prime Minister's job. You must be joking! This is the M.P. with a second home (or is it third) in London which is supposed to be only for M.P.'s who represent constituents well outside London. See the BNP website concerning him.

Then again maybe Cruddas should be Prime Minister as he represents just about every vice Labour have: sleaze, legalised corruption, self interest, incompetence, arrogance and complete contempt for the electorate.

Michael S., Reading, England

The Blair effect is taking it's toll

K urban, London, UK

Labour's days of criminality are numbered. Unfortunatelly, I don't believe the Tories will be any different. They are all controlled by the same puppet master. Only an independent government will make a change. This will require great sacrifice and learning by the British public.

KS, Fife, Scotland

I agree with John of Fareham. I work in a secondary school and you want to see the waste of money going on there, buying electronic whiteboards (£5000 each) that teachers never use and tv/dvd players that are hardly ever used because there are 12 of them in the school!!!!

Sarah, reigate,

These results clearly show that it is " the economy stoopid" and the fact that the government will lose the election rather than the opposition win it.Cameron would appear to have retracted from his hug a hoodie,windmill on the chimney and cycling to work followed by his car but where are the policies to benefit the ordinary working single man and woman?Taxed to the hilt.What will he do for pensioners?He now appears to be trying to claim the labour party constituency on familes but forgetting who provvides the cash.

Mike, Peterborough, UK

The Blairites think they can rescue Labour from disaster? Good. They clearly haven't spotted the fact that it's Tony's balony that got Labour into the current mess.

Cameron needs to do more than sit on Labour's wilting laurels. He needs to take the lead on decentralizing the massive and largely incompetent and inaccessible white elephant which attempts to run this country like a tax-starved communist rogue state.

Richard, Horley, UK

Hooray...Blame Prez Bush and the US of A.....The Congress in this country is 5 points lower than Mr Brown...Blame Tony Blair..He did in Prez Bush....The UK's problem is 'Tax's,tax's,tax's''''......welfare (?),welfare(!), welfare...and the needy ones don't get the help....NHS,YIKES...Other than no backbone, I enjoy the folks, don't like the system....aaah politicians.......

Mr Tim, san marcos, U S of A /Ca

What more would anyone expect from a blue labour government?
Bring back the real labour party and lets start thinking about people instead of profits.

bob, st ives, england

Ditto John !!!

Ian Payne, WALSALL,

If I become the next UK Prime Minister, This is what I will do.....

1) NO WAR NO WAR...get out of Afghanistan and Iraq....
2) Pulling off from EU.... EU is a sick JOKE!!!
3) Sending back all EU citizens ... Thank for Visiting us!!!
4) Stop immigration and legalise illegals..... for god's sake.
5) Education..Education...Education...without any fee tag...
6) Change in foreign policies.. No 'YES SIR' to America....
7) Large Manufacturing industry to support Skilled and Unskilled workers....
8) No EASY Benefits for 'Unemployed'... Work for the Noodles!
9) Nationalise NHS, Rail, Bus, Airlines and BANKS....
10) Two Bedrooms House @£60,000 for all... It isn't a DREAM!
11) Anyone responsible or involve in robbery, abuse, ASBO, rape, terrorism and murder will be sentenced to life or death. I will make sure that they will never ever walk free.

Will I get elected?????

WAKE UP BRITISH WAKE UP...........PLEASE

CHANGE THE FUTURE TODAY....

Uma Shankar, LEICESTER,

Watch this space. Desperate for power New Labour will emulate the dying days of the Liberal Party and opt for populist policies. Could this be the millstone that persuades Gordon to offer an exit from the EU? No doubt a promise which would, yet again, be broken.

PJW Holland, London, UK

Not a moment too soon. May May decimate Labour's numbers!

Let's see the Tories consolidate and gain further share. There's no room for complacency!

Arlene, Liverpool, UK

I wish The Times would make their minds up. Last week you reported that the public fully backed the budget.
This weekend you say they don't.

Phill, Heswall, England

It is not good enough for Cameron to blindly sail on in the hopes that labour will damage themselves enough for the conservatives to win by default. He needs to react to all the critism aimed at the hapless and inept labour government and amend the conservatives policies to exactly that which the voters are demanding. They need to see that the conservatives intend to change things radically, otherwise it will be business as usual, but as blulab not nulab. The country needs to see that things will improve on immigration, crime, education, EU, welfare and the NHS, but with Camerons policy ideas more or less the same as labours it will be a case of 'more of the same', strong action is needed not more spineless soundbites.

John Korn, North Bay, Canada

Hooray!! The sooner they go the better. Having lined their own pockets and secured their pensions they won't be too worried. It just leaves the country in a mess again. NL have completely ignored the pensioners who are the poorest in Europe. This is down to NL's utter waste of taxpayers money over the last 10 years.

John, Fareham,