Prime Minister Bruce Golding has maintained a nine percentage point lead over Opposition Leader Portia Simpson Miller as the person who Jamaicans say is best able to run the country at this time.

But Simpson Miller has seen a sharp climb in her favourability rating, moving her ahead of Golding for the first time in almost one year.

That should be good news for Simpson Miller, who is still facing the possibility of a challenge for the leadership of the People's National Party (PNP), even as the prospect of a general election looms.

The latest Bill Johnson polls show Golding with 42 per cent support when Jamaicans were asked which of the two leaders would do a better job of running the country. This was an almost unchanged position from the 41 per cent who gave Golding the nod when the poll was conducted last November.

Best person

Golding has been ahead of Simpson Miller in the contest for the best person to lead the country since August last year when he outperformed her in a pre-election debate and moved to the front with 41 per cent support. At that time, the popular Simpson Miller had 40 per cent support, leaving the two party leaders in a statistical dead heat.

But since then, two Bill Johnson polls have shown Golding's rating consistent in the 45-46 per cent region and Simpson Miller struggling to catch up.

The popular PNP president also saw a sharp decline in her personal support, which dipped to 39 per cent last year after reaching dizzying heights in the immediate aftermath of her victory in the PNP's internal election.

Upswing for simpson

But Johnson now shows Simpson Miller with an upswing of 11 percentage points, moving her to 52 per cent.

Three in ten Jamaicans had an unfavourable opinion of Simpson Miller while 18 per cent said they were not sure.

This is the best showing for Simpson Miller since last year when her favourability rating started to plummet.

The Bill Johnson poll was conducted on May 31 and June 1 in 84 communities with 1,008 respondents. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus three per cent.

For Johnson, this is a clear indication that Simpson Miller remains the more popular of the two leaders with the numbers showing her approval rating four percentage points above Golding.

But the pollster notes that, even among PNP supporters, there are question marks about her ability to lead the country at this time.

According to Johnson, 85 per cent of the people who voted JLP in the last election support Golding as the best person to lead the country at this time while six per cent say Simpson Miller, nine per cent are undecided.

However, 10 per cent of the people who voted PNP say Golding is the man for the PM's job while 71 per cent say Simpson Miller nineteen per cent are undecided.

"Despite of the trying times, including the problems of crime and the riding cost of living, Golding remains the popular choice as the person to lead the country," Johnson noted.

Find out the party standings in The Gleaner tomorrow.