Tory lead slashed to six points

Published on Saturday 21 November 2009 23:32

GORDON Brown was given a boost last night by a poll suggesting the Tories' lead has been slashed.

An Ipsos MORI survey put David Cameron's party on 37 per cent – just six points ahead of Labour. The gap is the narrowest between the two for nearly a year, and with the Liberal Democrats on 17 per cent, this would result in a hung parliament if repeated at the general election.

The research also indicated growing public optimism. Some 43 per cent now believe the economy will perform better over the next year, compared with 23 per cent who say it will deteriorate and 28 per cent who say it will stay the same.

Despite the improvement in Labour's position, the Prime Minister's personal ratings remain poor. Just 34 per cent are satisfied with his performance, while 59 per cent are dissatisfied. The figures for Cameron are 48 and 35 per cent.

Meanwhile, it was reported that Business Secretary Lord Mandelson is pressing Brown to make him foreign secretary, which would see him fulfil a long-held ambition.