Voters want Osborne out as Chancellor in Cameron's reshuffle

Nearly half of voters want George Osborne replaced as Chancellor in David Cameron's widely-expected imminent Cabinet reshuffle, according to fresh polling.

Mr Osborne has now become more unpopular than Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, who has a performance rating of minus 26 to his Treasury colleague's minus 32, the Guardian/ICM study found.

Overall, 48 per cent voters believe Mr Osborne should be ousted from No 11 but that rises to 52 per cent among pensioners and 53 per cent for the 35 to 64 age group.

Conservative supporters at the last election are divided over his performance with 44 per cent believing he is doing a bad job, with 43 per cent saying he is doing a good job.

Mr Osborne has faced repeated criticism for failing to kick-start the UK's floundering economy as well as presiding over a budget that sparked a series of U-turns.

ICM Research interviewed 1,006 adults by telephone between August 24 and 26.

PA