ROGUE POLLS

THE British public's apparent dissatisfaction with its political system and those who run it is producing some incredible polling results which will surely be adjusted somewhat when the immediate effect of Nick Clegg's arrival on the scene wears off a little. However, the feelings of disappointment and disillusion are not confined to Britain. The comparison between the improvement in America's standing in the world after one year of Barack Obama as president and the loss of support for him at home is striking.

A BBC poll carried out in 28 countries showed a return to the respect in which America is regarded that existed before George W Bush's disastrous eight years in office. Yet in the United States Mr Obama's personal approval rating is down to around 50 per cent. Much worse is the number of Americans who say they are “angry” or “frustrated” at the government -- three out of every four questioned. The respected Pew Center which produced these figures said that they detected an “epic discontent” with Congress and the White House. Despite stubborn unemployment and a weak economy these are not rational reactions. In Britain a weakness of election opinion polling is that the percentages are usually of those who are likely to vote. If there is a high level of abstention because of anger and frustration the outcome could be affected in ways it is very difficult to predict.