Squeaky bum time

Tory lead cut in post-PBR poll
6 hours ago

Labour has narrowed the Conservative lead to just four points in the first opinion poll taken since Monday's Pre-Budget Report.

The YouGov survey for the Daily Telegraph puts the Tories on 40% (down two points on a similar poll last month), Labour on 36% (up three) and Liberal Democrats on 14% (down one).

Because of Labour's inbuilt electoral advantage, the findings could deliver Gordon Brown victory in a hung Parliament if repeated in a General Election.

The poll found that 60% of the public supported Chancellor Alistair Darling's announcement of a temporary cut in VAT and 72% welcomed his new higher-rate tax band for the wealthy.

But just 28% thought the PBR decisions would benefit them personally and only 27% said that they would lessen the impact of the economic crisis.

The poll - conducted following the PBR on Monday evening and Tuesday - is the latest in a string of surveys to show Labour catching up on the Tories after a summer which saw Mr Brown's party trailing by more than 20 points.

YouGov questioned 1,556 adults across Britain online on November 24 and 25.