Two in three students prefer Barack to Brown

US President Barack Obama would be a more popular choice for British Prime Minister than Gordon Brown or David Cameron, but the Prime Minister is more popular among student voters than Mr Cameron.

Two in three University students believe that Barack Obama would make a better leader than either Gordon Brown or David Cameron, according to a new survey.

It was also found that 80% of students intend to vote at the upcoming general election, with 57% intending to vote for the Labour party.

The survey, by graduate job website WikiJob.co.uk, questioned more than 1,000 students throughout March about current political and vocational issues.

Students were asked the following questions: Who pays for your education? Is the recession over? What is the most important factor when looking for graduate jobs, time or money? Do you intend to vote in the general election? Who do you intend to vote for in the general election? Who would make a better leader?

The results of the survey revealed that:

34% of students said the government paid for their education.

83% of students said that they believe the recession was not over.

62% wanted graduate jobs with long hours and good pay.

"200,000 students a month use graduate jobs site WikiJob.co.uk and they believe they can make a change on May 6th" said Chris Muktar, director at WikiJob.co.uk. "With over a million people in higher education at present, the student vote is now more important than ever and the results of this survey show that UK politicians still have a lot of work to do. Personality is key when it comes to the young voting public - Brown must be more like Obama, or even TV personality Duncan Bannatyne, if he wants to win the general election."

WikiJob student survey results April 2010

WikiJob surveyed 1,000 UK students throughout March 2010. The survey consisted of six key questions. The results were as follows:

Who pays for your education?
- The government - 34%
- Parents - 51%
- Me - 15%

Is the recession over?
- Yes - 83%
- No - 17%

What is the most important factor when looking for graduate jobs, time or money?
- I am willing to work long hours for good pay - 62%
- I would prefer to work fewer hours for less pay - 38%

Do you intend to vote in the general election?
- Yes - 80%
- No - 20%

Who do you intend to vote for in the general election?
- Labour - 57%
- Conservative - 34%
- Lib Dem - 6%
- Other - 3%

Who would make a better leader?
- Gordon Brown - 11%
- David Cameron - 9%
- Barack Obama - 67%
- Duncan Bannatyne -13%