Blair voted "worst Briton"

London - Prime Minister Tony Blair has been voted the "worst Briton", narrowly beating glamour model Jordan, in a poll for Channel 4 television. But Blair can take heart from the news that the votes were cast in February and March as he prepared to lead Britain to war with Iraq.

Polls taken since the war began have shown an increase in his personal popularity.

Around 100,000 people voted in the survey, which aimed to find the 100 worst Britons in response to last year's BBC poll of the nation's greatest.

The prime minister, who earned media accolades on his 50th birthday earlier this month, also beat former prime minister Margaret Thatcher, who came in third.

His wife, Cherie, made the list at 89th, while his media director Alastair Campbell was 57th.

Jade Goody, a finalist on last year's reality TV hit "Big Brother", was voted Britain's fourth most unpopular person in the poll, followed by journalist Martin Bashir at number five.

Bashir's position likely reflects his controversial interview with popstar Michael Jackson earlier this year.

Other top-ten worst Britons included Pop Idol runner-up Gareth Gates, Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson and former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell. The Queen was voted in at number 10.

The programme's commissioning editor Stuart Cosgrove said in a statement: "100 Worst Britons is a roll-call of everything that makes Britain awful.

"From cheap celebrities to mouthy millionaires, it offers fun and frustration in equal measure." -- Reuters

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