The public are divided as to whether ditching Brown would help Labour - but the vast majority agree there is no obvious successor anyway

That's according to the findings of a ComRes poll for the BBC's Daily Politics programme. The pollster asked the following questions of 1,003 adults between 6th and 7th January:

"The Labour Party would have greater appeal with voters if Gordon Brown stood aside to allow someone else to lead the Party at the next election"

Agree - 50%
Disagree - 42%
Don't know - 7%

"If Gordon Brown were to resign there are no obvious more popular candidates to be leader of the Labour Party"

Agree - 69%
Disagree - 23%
Don't know - 8%

Which of these parties do you think is the most divided?

Conservative - 17%
Labour - 60%
Lib Dem - 10%
Other/none - 12%

In reference to that last question, I hardly need remind readers of the old adage: "divided parties don't win elections"...

Jonathan Isaby