Opinion polls show Blair's reputation has suffered

The report into the death of David Kelly came down heavily on the BBC while the government was spared.

Polls show that many people believe the Hutton report was a whitewash.

Fifty-four percent of people said Tony Blair's reputation had deteriorated even though he was vindicated in the report, an ICM poll shows.

Only 14% thought his status had improved after Lord Hutton cleared him of any wrongdoing.

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The poll for the News of the World revealed 30% of people thought the prime minister's position had been seriously damaged, with a further 24% said it had suffered slightly.

However, the BBC also lost public confidence, according to the survey of 533 adults on 29 and 30 January.

It found 56% of people now believed they should not have to pay a licence fee.

The report sparked three BBC resignations - the director general Greg Dyke, the chairman Gavyn Davies and reporter Andrew Gilligan.

A similar survey for Friday's Times newspaper found Mr Blair and the government had been damaged almost as much as the BBC by the inquiry.

In the News of the World poll, Tory leader Michael Howard also suffered from staking so much on the report.

Some 26% of people said his reputation had deteriorated and just 15% thought his image has been enhanced following his response to the report.

Vote swing

NOP for the Evening Standard on Thursday, the day after the Hutton report was published, found that 49% of people believed the report was a whitewash and that 56% said it was unfair for the BBC to receive most of the blame.

BBC staff were dismayed Greg Dyke's resignation

The same poll said 33% felt that the Hutton verdict had made them less likely to vote Labour in the next general election.

YouGov, in the Daily Telegraph on Friday, found that 56% thought Hutton was a member of the Establishment and this produced a whitewash.

Fifty-two percent said Mr Blair had acted improperly in the Kelly affair.

ICM, for the Guardian also on Friday, found that 60% believed the government had treated Kelly unfairly.

Less respect

A YouGov poll for Sunday's Jonathan Dimbleby programme on ITV, maintained the pattern, showing people do not believe Hutton's conclusions.

On the question of whether the government sexed up the intelligence case for going to war, 54% believed that the government was guilty, against 27% who did not.

Over half of respondents said there should be a judicial inquiry on why the government took Britain to war, compared to 32% who did not.

Only 26% said they trusted the government, while 65% did not, but of those who have changed their mind in the past few days 4% have more respect, while 19% have less for the government.