Most people really don't care about Damian Green

Having been disappointed by its absense from the main report of the Times' monthly Populus poll, I find they did include questions on Damian Green after all. We'll have to have a proper look when the actual wording of the question is out, but on the face of it the public's verdict seems to be a resounding Sorry, I couldn't actually be bothered to read about it - what was it again?.

56% of people said they had not followed the Damian Green story close enough to express a view, though the minority who had followed it split in favour of Damian Green. 29% thought it was right for the civil servant to leak information, with 13% thinking it wrong. 26% thought it was right for opposition MPs to release such information when it is leaked to them, 16% disagreed. 30% thought Jacqui Smith had handled things badly, only 12% thought she had done well.

Overall 39% thought it was right MPs were paying the affair so much attention, but 45% thought it was a "typical Westminster argument that bears no relation to the lives of ordinary people." In this context the Conservative drop in support doesn't seem particularly surprising - they've switched from attacking the government over huge levels of debt and mishandling the economy, to battering away over an issue which apparently has barely any salience with the general public.