Aug. 10 (Bloomberg) -- Britons would be more likely to support Prime Minister Gordon Brown's Labour Party if he steps down, a poll showed.

A YouGov Plc survey for the News of the World newspaper showed that 46 percent of voters say Brown should quit. About a fifth of Britons said they would be more likely to vote for Labour without him as a leader, according to the poll.

Brown's grip on his party is fraying after opposition Conservative leader David Cameron's popularity surged and Labour lost three special elections in a row. Labour must call a general election by mid-2010, according to U.K. law.

``If Labour are to have any hope of wooing the electorate then a change at the top may restore their fortunes, but it is no magic bullet,'' YouGov pollster Ben Glanville was quoted as saying in the News of World.

The Conservatives enjoy the support of 46 percent of voters, compared with 26 percent for Labour and 17 percent for the Liberal Democrats, the poll showed.

YouGov also asked whether some of Brown's Cabinet colleagues would be more popular. Twelve percent said Foreign Secretary David Miliband would be the best Labour leader, compared with 10 percent for Brown. Justice Minister Jack Straw was favored by 7 percent of respondents and Health Secretary Alan Johnson got 3 percent.

Almost half of Britons preferred Tony Blair to Brown as prime minister, the poll showed. Just 13 percent favored Brown over Blair, who he succeeded in June 2007.

YouGov surveyed 2,031 adults between Aug. 6 and Aug. 8. No margin of error was given.

To contact the reporter on this story: Brian Swint in London at bswint@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: August 10, 2008 04:59 EDT