Poll: PM dithers like Mr Bean

Prime Minister Gordon Brown's handling of the economic crisis has been on par with that of a dithering Mr Bean, according to a poll of nearly 19,000 Britons. The survey, carried out by WalletPop, a new personal finance website from AOL UK, revealed that 70 per cent of respondents likened the PM to Mr Bean. In light of the financial downturn, WalletPop found that 65 per cent of respondents have completely cut out luxury and expensive items from their weekly grocery shopping. Also falling out of favour are organic, fair-trade and speciality foods according to WalletPop. One area that Britons said they would spend more on is the Lotto; 12 per cent of those polled stated that they have been driven to play the Lotto in these penny-pinching times. "Over the last six months we’ve seen a real increase in demand for relevant personal finance advice that can be used immediately to help save money and increase household income," said Michael Schroeder of AOL Europe.