VIRGIN boss Sir Richard Branson is the person most people would like as their manager while Cherie Blair is the country's least favourite.

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson came second bottom in the poll published today by the British Market Research Bureau.

Forty-four per cent of employees who responded to the survey chose Sir Richard. He came way ahead of celebrity chef Jamie Oliver in second place, while Body Shop founder Anita Roddick was third.

The results showed women are much more likely to pick a female as their first choice while people generally opt for someone of a similar age to themselves. For example, Jamie Oliver proved popular among younger respondents.

He was the most popular choice for people working in retailing. Anita Roddick was tops among employees in the business services sector while Sir Richard topped the list among IT and telecoms workers. Prince Charles was a popular choice for those working in education.

Lynne McClymont, who directed the survey, said: "The role of strong leadership in engaging employees is undoubted, and Sir Richard Branson's unique personal style embodies this. However, the research also indicates that many employees want to be managed by people who share similar characteristics to them." Tweet