Public confidence in Chief Executive CY Leung hits new low

Public confidence in Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying has hit a new low 10 months into his tenure, a university poll has found.

Twenty-nine per cent of respondents said they would vote for Leung if a chief executive election were held tomorrow, while 54 per cent said they would not.

The figures were the lowest and the highest, respectively, the University of Hong Kong public opinion programme has recorded in regular surveys since Leung assumed office in July last year.

The survey, in which more than 1,017 people were interviewed in early May, has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 per cent.

The poll also found Leung's popularity rating had fallen slightly, to 49 points, versus 49.9 points recorded in late April. It was the second consecutive poll putting Leung's rating under the 50 point "passing" score.

Programme director Dr Robert Chung Ting-yiu said Leung's popularity had "significantly dropped".