Record poll lead for British Opposition

The UK Conservative Party raced into a record 24-point opinion poll lead today among those certain to vote as Labour hit a 30-year-plus voter rating low.

The UK Conservative Party raced into a record 24-point opinion poll lead today among those certain to vote as Labour hit a 30-year-plus low.

Any hopes of a "Beijing bounce" for UK prime minister Gordon Brown on the back of Britain's Olympic successes were dashed by the latest monthly Ipsos/Mori survey.

Twice as many electors said they would vote Tory as Labour (48% to 24%) at the next general election, the biggest gap recorded since the pollster's records began in 1977.

It is four points wider than a month ago - with Labour dropping three.

Among all the 1,005 voters polled by telephone between August 15-17, the Conservatives enjoyed a 14-point lead by 42% to 28% - with the Opposition up two on last month.

With more than three quarters unhappy with the way the British Government is running the country (76% to 20%), most (58%) now believe Mr Cameron's party is ready for office.

The Conservatives remain well ahead on their ability to run the economy (by 38% to 23%), the issue considered most important by voters, 72% believing things will get still worse in the next year.

The British public now has more faith in them on every aspect of policy - including education (by one point), the environment and housing (three points) - except for health, on which Labour is ahead by three.

Ipsos Mori's August Political Monitor found 71% dissatisfied with the Brown's performance, including 39% of Labour supporters.

Mr Cameron, meanwhile, enjoyed a 51% approval rating - supported by all but 14% of his party's supporters - and is considered the more capable to lead the country out of the present economic situation by 50% to 29%.

The Liberal Democrats were up one on 16% among those certain to vote, but down one from 18% to 17% among all those stating a preference.

While a third said leader Nick Clegg was doing a good job compared with 26% stating their dissatisfaction, a larger number (42%) expressed no opinion.

Ipsos Mori said its previous low score for Labour was 27% and that it believed the 24-point gap was the biggest ever seen in a telephone-based poll.