The graph that Miliband backers will be watching

Ed Miliband had a good PMQs. Not stunning, still the slight feeling that a few more forensic questions on Jeremy Hunt’s conduct might have exposed David Cameron more, but his “shadow of sleaze” line will hang over the government. And to think, there’s barely a week until local elections.

Labour are excited. The last time Miliband took the fight to Cameron over his relations with Murdoch in summer 2010, his popularity soared. They hope it can happen again.

Most, though not all, months the Independent on Sunday/Sunday Mirror/ComRes poll has asked voters whether they agreed or disagreed with these statements on the three party leaders.

David Cameron is turning out to be a good Prime Minister
Ed Miliband is turning out to be a good leader of the Labour Party
Nick Clegg is turning out to be a good leader of the Liberal Democrats

The net ratings from December 2010 to April 2012, with don’t knows removed, are shown in this graph. The sharp spike in Miliband’s ratings in July 2011 came days after he “took on Murdoch”. His strategists and MPs hope for a similar spike this week. But it is worth noting that at the weekend in January Nick Clegg’s net rating overtook Miliband for the first time since we started doing these questions.

Footnote: We had a poll last weekend, so it will be another month before we get an update.

Recent Posts on Eagle Eye

• "Assemblage of Sops"
• "I'm not going to do ANYTHING for you"
• When Brown feared that Blair wouldn't go ahead with Iraq
• What to do about Syria?
• "It’s almost as if New Labour didn’t happen"

• http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=671392656 Lev Eakins

  “But it is worth noting that last weekend was the first time that Nick Clegg’s net rating overtook Miliband since we started doing these questions.” 
  Last weekend being four months ago.

• barometer

  I despair when I see that the electorate still votes for the three main political parties. And I resent their stupidity which lumbers me and the rest of my countrymen with stupid and anti British politicians.

• http://abrahamsays.blogspot.com/ Abraham Ben Judea

  The price good men pay for not paying attention to local politics: is to be governed by men less worthy than themselves

• Paddyman

  So, what’s the answer. Central government has been busily emasculating local politics for years. Favoured candidates for parliamentary seats are parachuted into constituencies in preference to locally favoured people. All the major parties are guilty of this. As for local government, it has its hands tied.

• bkwanab

  Are you a card carrying party member?  Do you go to your local party meetings and make your opinions heard?  Regularly?  Ever?  Do you even know where they hold their meetings?  If you don’t participate in the democratic process you have no-one, I repeat no-one, but yourself to blame.