Skipper

I have to confess that as a Labour supporter a few months back I was apprehensive about Gordon's accession-all that well referenced stuff about his moodiness and Stalinist tendencies- and not at all sure that the departure of the devil we knew was going to be an unalloyed relief. Now, I'm happy to say, it seems I was wrong: good appointments and initiatives on governance; rowing back on super-casinos; making PMQs an occasion for serious announcements; all seem to have engendered the desired feeling of genuine change.

The ICM poll today shows Labour striding to a six point lead-the research was done before the by-election defeats- but much worse for Cameron is the detailed findings on the two main players. 21% of voters(including one in four Tory voters) say their opinion of Brown has improved over the last month with only 8% for whom it has fallen. By contrast 21% say their opinion of Cameron has declined since Brown became PM. Moreover 60% think the new PM is offering new policies and 63% a new style of government.

For the Tories 42% say they like the party but dislike the leader with a mere 3% saying the reverse. For Labour the figure for those liking the party and the leader is an impressive 75%. These poll results seem to indicate voters are pleased Blair has gone but that maybe Cameron has been too much like him in style and has suffered accordingly. The intriguing question which the next few months will answer is whether this bounce turned into a honeymoon will last for much longer. Blair's honeymoon, Cameron might reflect, went on to last several years-and that would suit Gordon very nicely.