Politics 'too focused on personality'

The vast majority of recent graduates with an interest in politics believe there is too much media focus on personality, according to a new poll.

While three in four of those surveyed said they did not find politics a "turn off", the same number said they believed politics was too focused on personalities rather than what the politicians would do if elected.

The poll comes in the wake of Brian Sedgemore's defection from Labour to the Liberal Democrats, and Tony Blair's call for the media to focus on the issues rather than personalities.

The survey, conducted by public affairs and government communications recruitment group Electus, also finds little appetite amongst graduates for a reduction in the voting age.

Just 32 per cent of those polled said they would support a reduction in the voting age from 18 to 16.

But nearly 50 per cent of those surveyed said they would support the age at which an individual can stand for parliament being reduced from 21 to 18.

The government has already signalled that it will introduce such a move sometime in the next parliament.