London: After facing another by-election defeat last week, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown is facing a summer of discontent as a new poll suggests that his government is as unpopular as John Major's was in 1996.
The Labour party lost the Norwich North by-election to the Conservatives, sparking off another round of criticism against Brown's leadership.
Brown is likely to face another bid to unseat him as the party leader during Labour's annual conference in September while the party is expected to lose another by-election in Scotland later in 2009.
However, as Brown and MPs left Westminster on summer holidays, the 'Daily Telegraph' YouGov poll found that 70 per cent of voters now disapprove of the Labour government's record.
Only 17 per cent people approve of it, which is identical to the rating of the John Major government in July 1996. Nine months later, the Labour party came to power and has held on until now. The next general elections are due in mid-2010.
Brown's personal ratings remains down. Only 19 per cent people say he would make the best Prime Minister, while 37 per cent favour Conservative leader David Cameron and 10 per cent pitch for Nick Clegg, the Liberal Democrat leader.
Among other issues, Brown's government faced public criticism for Britain's ongoing role in Afghanistan. Only 15 per cent believe the cause is just and worth the loss of British soldiers lives.
In the month of July, 22 British soldiers died in Afghanistan, prompting senior politicians to seriously question Britain's involvement. According to the poll, 50 per cent of voters believe the cause is just but not worth the loss of British lives.