THE BRITISH Prime Minister, Mr John Major, appears to have conquered his "grey man" image, if only in the minds of listeners to BBC radio's flagship current affairs programme Today, writes Rachel Borrill in London.
Mr Major (53), whose Spitting Image puppet is grey all over in a comment on his style, was named personality of the year yesterday in Today's annual poll.
Mr Major's opposite number, the Labour Party leader, Mr Tony Blair, was disqualified from the contest on December 12th when it was discovered that party members were being exhorted to vote for him without stating their political allegiance. And even amid the Prime Minister's success yesterday there was a whiff of irregularity.
A BBC spokesman said there was evidence of multiple votes for Mr Major and so 4,000 votes had been disqualified. However Conservative party officials dismissed any suggestion of an orchestrated campaign to rig the vote.
Over 140,000 votes were cast in the poll of Radio 4 listeners. Mr Major received 23 per cent of the votes. Miss Lisa Potts, a nursery nurse who protected school children during a machete attack in Wolverhampton last July came second, with 21 per cent and the Burmese opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, came third.
The deputy Prime Minister, Mr Michael Heseltine, dismissed claims of any attempt to rig the vote, insisting the poll proved the extent of Mr Major's popularity. "I don't think that is anything to do with the Conservative Party. It is the enthusiasm of Conservative supporters. But the fact is that, John has won. Now why don't we just sit back and enjoy it," he said.
Labour MPs greeted the result with open incredulity.
"The idea that John Major could end up being voted Personality of the Year is so ludicrous as, to beggar belief," said Mr Tony Banks.
A BBC spokesman insisted that the poll had never been intended as scientific.
"It is sad if people make multiple votes because it attacks the integrity of our poll," he said.
Mr Bob Worcester, of MORI opinion polls, said the discounting, of so many votes pointed to an attempt to rig the poll.