Poll: Blair damaged by Blunkett affair

Tony Blair has been damaged by David Blunkett’s resignation over the “nannygate” affair, a poll revealed tonight.

But voters say Mr Blunkett should return to the Cabinet if Labour win the next General Election, the YouGov survey found.

And the former Home Secretary’s departure has not hit Labour’s poll rating, the research for the Sunday Times shows.

But an overwhelming majority, 68%, say the Prime Minister, who insisted Mr Blunkett would be cleared, has been damaged.

There is widespread support for both his performance as Home Secretary and his paternity battle with ex-lover Kimberly Quinn.

In contrast a clear majority, 63%, say married publisher Mrs Quinn has acted vindictively.

A similar number, 61%, say Mr Blunkett was right to resign after Sir Alan Budd’s inquiry found a visa for Mrs Quinn’s nanny had been fast-tracked and his account of events was wrong.

Almost a quarter, 21%, said he should return to the Cabinet straight after the election, expected in May.

Exactly one in four said he should be back in the government’s top ranks with a year or two while 39% oppose a comeback.

Even more, 75%, say Mr Blunkett is right to take court action to see Mrs Quinn’s eldest child who he believes is his son.

Public sentiment over the MP’s plight is almost evenly split with 43% saying they have sympathy for him and 40% saying they do not.

There is no such division over the heavily pregnant Mrs Quinn with just 14% voicing some sympathy. That falls to 12% among women.

Mr Blunkett is deemed to have done a good job as a Home Secretary by 43% while 17% disagree, figures that put several other prominent Labour politicians in the shade.

While 32% say Mr Blair is a good Prime Minister, 38% disagree while his deputy John Prescott is voted a failure by 17% to 39% and Foreign Secretary Jack Straw by 21% to 27%.

Chancellor Gordon Brown, however, comes out best with a majority, 52%, saying he has done a good job and just 16% disagreeing.

A second poll for the Independent on Sunday found support for the parties largely unchanged.

Labour lead the Tories by 39% to 34% with the Liberal Democrats on 19%, according to CommunicateResearch.

An overwhelming 82% said Mr Blunkett had set a good example by wanting to take responsibility for the child he says is his.

However, people are far more divided by his decision to resort to the courts.

Legal action was backed by 42% while 45% said it was unbecoming.

Just 30% said the affair showed Mr Blunkett could not be trusted as a minister while twice that number, 63%, disagreed.

:: YouGov polled a weighted sample of 1,981 voters online between December 16-18.

:: CommunicateResearch interviewed 1,004 people between December 14-16 – 403 before the resignation and 601 afterwards.