British economy costing Brown support

LONDON, March 28 (UPI) -- A gloomy economy was reported Friday to be driving British voters away from Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

British homeowners are losing faith in Brown's ability to weather the financial crisis, a YouGov poll for The Daily Telegraph said. Their confidence in the economy -- the so-called "feel good factor"-- has dropped to its lowest level ever.

Labor strategists have been calculating that voters would swing back to Brown and his government's promise of stability. But the poll suggests this month's budget and its inflation-breaking tax increases contributed to voters' growing pessimism.

Sixty-four percent of people said their household's financial situation will "get worse" over the next year and only 12 percent of those questioned expect their personal finances to improve.

The "feel-good factor" -- which monitors voters' confidence in the future of the economy -- stands at minus 52 percent following sharp rises in mortgage, grocery and energy bills. This is its lowest level since measurements began in 1981. Even in the depths of the early 1990s recession it only dropped to minus 26 percent.