UK: Tories ahead of Labour in new poll

Gordon Brown suffered a fresh blow today as a poll showed the Tories have established a seven-point lead over Labour as their support reached a 15-year high.

The ICM survey for The Sunday Telegraph suggests that David Cameron is now in a position to secure a Commons majority in a general election.

The poll, putting the Tories on 43% and Labour on 36%, follows a torrid fortnight for the Prime Minister which has seen remarkable reversals in the fortunes of both main parties.

Mr Brown’s commanding lead in the polls – reaching an 11-point high during the Labour Party conference – has disappeared in the wake of Tory initiatives on tax, the spin row over troop withdrawals from Iraq and the last-minute decision not to call an autumn election.

By contrast, Mr Cameron is in his strongest position since taking over as Tory leader, his party today more popular than at any time since the last Conservative government’s Black Wednesday debacle in 1992.

Sir Menzies Campbell’s Liberal Democrats continue to struggle, meanwhile, mustering only 14% in today’s poll.

While the Tories lead Labour in a survey of voting intentions, Mr Brown is still seen as a stronger leader than Mr Cameron, by 52% to 32%.

The Prime Minister and his Chancellor, Alistair Darling, are regarded as a better team to run the economy than Mr Cameron and shadow chancellor George Osborne, by 47% to 36%.

But there is new pressure on Mr Brown to hold a referendum on the EU Reform Treaty, with 66% of voters demanding a say.

Mr Brown was urged by a leading Blairite today to set out his “vision” more clearly.

Lord Falconer’s comments came in an article for The Sunday Times, which also claimed that former prime minister Tony Blair was unhappy about Mr Brown’s direction.

The former Lord Chancellor, who quit the Cabinet alongside Mr Blair in June, said: “Making clear our vision is the challenge for the Labour Party now.

“Because if you rely on experience and our ability to handle crises and do not set out, in the coming months, our vision for the future of the UK, a vision which represents the progressive view of politics, then we will be offering drift not leadership, and the past not the future.”

Lord Falconer added pointedly: “Renewal does not come from change of leadership alone.”

A spokesman for Mr Blair today insisted he was entirely supportive of his successor.

“This story is complete and utter rubbish and does not represent Tony Blair’s views,” he said.

“Tony Blair said when he stood down he would be completely supportive of Gordon Brown and that is absolutely what he continues to be.”

:: ICM interviewed a random sample of 1,010 adults by telephone between October 10 and 11, weighting the results to the profile of all adults.