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142711
MDHIAN 1281
POLLING ORGANISATION HAS MADE THE POINT THAT AN AVERAGE RATING OF CLOSE TO 60 MARKS IS IMPRESSIVE IN THE CIRCUMSTANCES, PARTICULARLY AS OVER 80 PERCENT OF RESPONDENTS GAVE THE GOVERNOR 50 OR MORE MARKS.
4.
HOWEVER, THIS RESULT SHOULD BE SEEN IN CONTEXT. QUESTION ONE (OR A SLIGHT VARIATION OF IT) WAS ASKED IN JULY, OCTOBER AND EARLY NOVEMBER. THE RESULTS WERE:
JULY
OCTOBER
NOVEMBER
69 PERCENT
63 PERCENT
60 PERCENT
THERE HAS THUS BEEN A TEN PERCENTAGE POINT DECLINE IN THE GOVERNOR'S PERFORMANCE RATING SINCE JULY AND A FOUR PERCENTAGE POINT DECLINE SINCE HIS VISIT TO PEKING IN OCTOBER. BUT PERHAPS THE MOST INTERESTING RESULT IS THAT THERE HAS BEEN ONLY A ONE PERCENTAGE POINT FALL IN SUPPORT SINCE EARLY NOVEMBER I.E. SINCE THE PRC'S CAMPAIGN MOVED INTO TOP GEAR.
5.
THE RESPONSES TO QUESTION FOUR SHOULD BE NOTED. IN OCTOBER, 36 PERCENT OF RESPONDENTS SAID THEY THOUGHT THE ECONOMY OUTLOOK WOULD GET WORSE, BUT THE RESULT IN THE LATEST POLL IS THAT 54 PERCENT HOLD THIS VIEW. GIVEN THAT THE PRC HAS DELIBERATELY TARGETED ECONOMIC ISSUES IN ITS CAMPAIGN, THIS IS NOT A SURPRISING RESULT.
PATTEN
YYYY
ΜΑΙΝ
.HK POLICY
HKD
PUSD
63
DISTRIBUTION
72
PLANNERS
RAD
PS
FED
LEGAL ADVISERS//MS BARRETT
.AND MS BROOKS
NEWS D
PS/MR GOODLAD
SIR J COLES
MR APPLEYARD MR HUM
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