PLP election ratings have been boosted after Ewart Brown replaced Alex Scott as Premier, according to a new poll.

In the wake of Dr. Brown's leadership victory and debut Throne Speech, voters were asked who they would plump for in an early November election.

Nearly 40 per cent said they wanted Government to secure a third term, can reveal today, while 25 per cent of those polled said they would have voted UBP.

Some 15 per cent said they would vote for nobody and 17 per cent refused to reveal which party they would support if Bermuda went to the polls in a snap election. The change in leadership seems to have given the PLP some breathing space from the Opposition in the polls ? possibly propelled by a 'feelgood factor' triggered by a change at the top.

When voters were asked the same question in September ? with Alex Scott still holding the reins of power ? the result of a quick-fire election appeared to be hanging on a knife edge.

Then, 31 per cent backed the PLP and 27 per cent the Opposition. Nearly one in five refused to tell pollsters which political party they supported two months ago and 15 per cent said they would abstain. The margin of error, as it is in this month's poll, stands at 4.9 per cent.

Results from July suggested another close run contest as PLP support stood at 33 per cent while the UBP had a 31 per cent share. And in May, 34 per cent opted for the PLP as opposed to 29 per cent UBP.

This month's poll shows the clearest light between the two parties since March, when Government had 39 per cent support and the Opposition 28 per cent.

Welcoming the news last night, Dr. Brown said: "The poll clearly indicates that the electorate have welcomed new leadership. We remain committed to responsible stewardship, and significant social change."

But a UBP spokesman dismissed the figures, saying: "We don't think the timing of the poll provides a realistic measure of what people will think of this Government when they actually go to the polls. It was taken after three weeks of saturation press coverage that was incredibly indulgent toward Dr. Brown. It was a poll taken not in the midst of the new Premier's honeymoon, but on his wedding night. Who has doubts then?"

The spokesman said the party was "not impressed by the result," which it believed was "an aberration."

He added: "Gravity will take hold and bring it all back to the unfortunate reality that this Government is the same Government that has been failing people for far too long. We believe the cold light of the days ahead will show people that this is the same crowd. All that's happened is the Number Two has become the Number One, and his only promise is to get his people working. If the polls didn't show a bump, like they have, we would have been shocked," he said.

He insisted that spirits in the Opposition had not been dented by the survey results.

"We're fine in the UBP. We're quietly confident about the upcoming election because we believe we have the strategy, the plans and the commitment to public service that will give people a much better, more responsive Government," he said.

The breakdown of the results throws up some interesting trends, particularly when it comes to voting patterns of racial groups.

Only eight per cent of blacks polled said they would have voted UBP.

And nearly a third of whites, traditionally the bedrock of UBP support, said they would not have voted for either party. Only one per cent of blacks said they would have abstained.

More than 70 per cent of blacks went for the PLP ? up from 49 per cent last time around ? while just under half the whites polled said they backed the Opposition.

Just over 20 per cent of women said they would vote UBP, compared to nearly 40 per cent PLP. Thirty per cent of men plumped for Wayne Furbert's party, while 38 per cent preferred Dr. Brown. Grey voters were split down the middle on the election issue, as 32 per cent of over 55s showed support for both parties. However, Government was more popular with younger voters. In the 18-54 age range, 86 per cent sided with the PLP compared to 43 per cent UBP.

Richer voters with an annual household income of $100,000-plus are split 35 per cent on each side. One in five said they would have abstained. Just over 40 per cent of poorer voters, bringing in less than $50,000, voted for Government compared to 23 per cent of that category going for the UBP.

While 47 per cent of middle income earners sided with Dr. Brown as 21 per cent supported Mr. Furbert. The phone survey of 403 people was carried out by Research Innovations between November 3 and 6.

Dr. Brown's first Throne Speech was on November 3. Opposition Leader Wayne Furbert outlined his party's policies the following week.

A Government spokesman had not provided comment on the poll by press time.