Gorbachev Tops in British Popularity Poll
Soviet President Mikhail S. Gorbachev is the most popular foreign leader among Britons, and more than four-fifths of them want Queen Elizabeth II to visit the Soviet Union, according to a poll in today’s edition of the Observer newspaper.
Forty-four percent of those queried said they admired Gorbachev most, 23% chose President Reagan, 5% Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, 4% Chancellor Helmut Kohl of West Germany and 3% President Francois Mitterrand of France.
The survey, which polled 1,052 adults, showed 81% believed the queen should visit the Soviet Union, while 11% were opposed. It was taken after reports that Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher would advise the queen to turn down any such invitation.
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