布萊爾執政十年 民怨加劇 Blair fails to improve Britain

Prime Minister Tony Blair

A recent newspaper poll of Britons' views of Prime Minister Tony Blair's ten years in power painted an unflattering picture of his premiership, with 57 percent saying he has stayed in office too long.

According to the Observer newspaper, many people now believe the country is more dangerous, less happy and less pleasant than it was in the pre-Blair era.

Some 61 percent disagreed that it is now more pleasant than in 1997, when a fresh-faced Blair won his first election victory.

A further 69 percent thought it was more dangerous and 58 percent disagreed it was happier.

There was some cheer for Blair, though -- 51 percent thought Britain had become a better place for ethnic minorities under his leadership, while 61 percent said the situation for homosexuals had improved.

The findings seem to dash the hopes of Blair's advisors that he should "go with the crowds wanting more."

Blair has said he will step down as prime minister before September.

His final months in office have been dogged by a police investigation into allegations of impropriety over Party funding -- the "cash for honours" probe -- and wrangles over who should take over from him.

Finance Minister Gordon Brown is favourite but faces bitter opposition from elements loyal to Blair within the ruling Labour Party.

The poll of 2,034 adults was conducted from March 16-19.

英國一家報紙日前開展的一項調查顯示，布萊爾首相的十年任期並沒有討得英國民衆的“歡心”，57%的受訪民衆認爲布萊爾的任期過長。

《觀察家》報的調查表明，很多民衆認爲與布萊爾任首相之前相比，如今的英國更加危險、民衆變得不快樂、舒適度也不如從前。

約61%的人說，自從1997年大選冒出了個布萊爾，英國就變得越來越不適合居住。

69%的調查對象稱如今的英國更加危險，58%的人認爲不如從前快樂。

不過，布萊爾也得到了一些肯定。51%的民衆認爲布萊爾在布萊爾的領導下，英國的少數民族問題有了改善；另有61%的民衆稱布萊爾執政期間，同性戀者的境況得到了改善。

這些民調結果似乎會讓那些認爲布萊爾應“繼續爲民衆謀福利”的執政顧問的希望破滅。

布萊爾表示，他將在今年9月之前離任。

而布萊爾首相任期的最後幾個月則因在黨內政治資金問題上處理不當而被捲入“權錢交易”的警方調查之中，在有關誰接任他的問題上也是糾纏不清。

目前來看，財政大臣戈登·布朗是下任首相的最佳人選，但他遭到工黨內部一些忠於布萊爾的人士的強烈反對。

這項共有2034名民衆參加的調查從3月16日持續至19日。